The Ha Tinh ring road in Hồng Lĩnh, funded at VND 150 billion, has been stalled despite near-complete paving and ancillary works because it was not previously permitted to link to National Route 8 and Tiên Sơn Road. The project, which began in December 2022, covers roughly 3 kilometres with a 30-metre carriageway, four lanes and a 2-metre central median. Local authorities say the route will expand the town to the west, connect major highways and create land for urban development and investment.
Ha Tinh ring road connectivity and timeline
Traffic confusion and safety concerns became common after sections of the ring road opened but remained unconnected. Motorists travelling on Võ Nguyên Giáp and Ngọc Sơn roads frequently turned into the new route, only to find a dead end and be forced to turn around. Residents complained that small, poorly positioned signs made it hard to spot the hazard at night, raising the risk of accidents for unfamiliar drivers.
The Ban Quản lý dự án đầu tư xây dựng công trình giao thông và Phát triển đô thị tỉnh Hà Tĩnh told reporters that the delay was caused by the absence of permission to connect the ring road to the national route. Previously, the Directorate for Roads Region II did not approve the junction. Following the reclassification of National Route 8 to provincial management, the Ha Tinh Provincial Department of Construction has now authorised the connection.
Project managers say the design has been revised and the junction will include additional acceleration and deceleration lanes to accommodate higher traffic volumes and improve safety. Contractors plan to restart the remaining works shortly. The revised schedule anticipates completion of construction by April 2026, with handover and opening planned for June 2026.
Local impacts and earlier obstacles
Although the main contract for civil works, worth more than VND 115 billion, was awarded to a private firm in the initial phase, progress was halted for other reasons as well. A historic entrance gate to the 200-year-old Thánh Vân Chàng temple stood directly on the planned alignment, a situation that emerged because of insufficient early-stage surveying. The project paused while the gate was moved.
To resolve the matter quickly, the local authority spent around VND 800 million to employ specialists from Ho Chi Minh City to relocate the gate and associated structures. After the move, the contractor resumed work on the nearby section, ending a disruption that lasted more than a year.
Residents and community leaders welcomed the decision to complete the connection. A local resident, Trần Hà Trang, said that while the ring road is well built and will be an asset to the town, leaving it unfinished was wasteful and inconvenient. The planned junction improvements and clearer signage are intended to reduce the risk of wrong-way entries and improve traffic flow once the route opens.
As the project moves towards completion, authorities will need to finalise traffic management measures and public information campaigns to ensure motorists can use the new link safely. Officials have emphasised that the investment will not only ease movement between National Route 8 and National Route 1, but also support urban expansion and attract further investment to Hồng Lĩnh.
Key Takeaways:
- Ha Tinh ring road (3km, VND 150 billion) was delayed because it was not connected to national routes.
- Authorities have approved the connection to National Route 8 and Tiên Sơn Road; works to resume with upgraded junctions.
- Project now expected to finish main works by April 2026 and open in June 2026, improving urban expansion and traffic safety.
