According to the Vietnam Road Administration (VRA), Typhoon Bualoi (Storm No. 10) and the ensuing floods caused severe damage to the nation’s road transport infrastructure, with estimated losses nearing 1 trillion VND (approximately 40 million USD).

The VRA’s report, covering the period from September 29 to October 4, reveals that 92% of total damages  -  equivalent to more than 900 billion VND  -  occurred on roads managed by local authorities.

The hardest-hit provinces include Thanh Hoa (600 billion VND), where losses accumulated from three storms (No. 3, No. 5, and No. 10), followed by Nghe An (133 billion VND) and Cao Bang (130 billion VND).

Roads managed by the central government  -  including national highways, expressways, and BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) projects  -  recorded about 78 billion VND in damage, or 8% of the total.

Among the four regional Road Management Departments under the VRA, total losses amounted to 77 billion VND, with Department IV (responsible for the Ninh Thuan–Southern region) suffering the most, exceeding 36 billion VND.

Under the VRA’s urgent directives, 25 blocked points on the national and expressway network  -  including 18 flooded and 7 landslide sites  -  were fully cleared by October 2.

At the storm’s peak, reports from local construction departments noted 179 blockages on devolved national highways (73 landslides and 106 floods) and 166 blockages on provincial roads (65 landslides and 101 floods).

Most of the affected sections were reopened within 24 hours. The seven most heavily flooded sections on National Highway 1 in Thanh Hoa were completely restored by October 3. Notably, all BOT-managed routes remained operational throughout.

While the central highway network has returned to normal, many locally managed roads remain partially inaccessible due to extensive landslides and persistent flooding.

The VRA confirmed that road authorities, contractors, and local management teams are continuing restoration work following Typhoon Bualoi while simultaneously preparing preventive measures for Typhoon Matmo (Storm No. 11) to minimize further damage.

As of this morning, prolonged rain from Matmo’s circulation has again inundated large parts of Hanoi, turning streets into rivers, stalling traffic, and leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded in deep water.

Tien Phong