Wed, Aug 12, 2020, 08:18:00
Keo Street, part of Highway 17 in Hanoi's Gia Lam District, causes locals a dirty hassle every day.

The street has been severely damaged by daily traffic consisting of various sized trucks, creating potholes up to 70 cm deep and 5 m wide.
In 2007, Hanoi government approved the upgrade and expansion of the route linking Highway 5 to Hapro Industrial Park, covering a total 6.21 km. Due to clearance issues, 26 households remained in situ, obstructing construction along 760 m of the route, including Sui Street (176 m) and Keo Street (600 m).

Every time it rains, water and mud fill the large potholes, causing a traffic safety hazard.
Linking Hanoi, Hai Duong and Bac Ninh the route carries a large number of vehicles each day. Super-heavy container trucks often pass by here to avoid the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) station on Highway 5, further damaging the road surface.

Tractor wheels sink deep into a pothole filled with mud.

On May 15, the Hanoi Department of Transport banned semi-trailer and container trucks from utilizing the route from Bac Ninh Province to Highway 5 between 6-9 a.m., and from Highway 5 to Bac Ninh during 4:30-7:30 p.m.

Drivers unfamiliar with the road conditions often get trapped inside a pothole.

In the case of traffic accidents, queues may stretch far and wide.

The five-meter wide surface of the road is heavily damaged, with regularly passing vehicles splashing dirty water onto nearby facades.

An old lady carefully crosses the road with her bicycle to avoid the potholes.

"On sunny days, we can collect an entire bowl of dust when sweeping the floor. On rainy days, water fills the potholes in front of the house. Every day, families have to use at least 10 mops," said 60-year-old resident Pham Van Phuoc.

Water has flooded many locals shops, like this dog meat restaurant, forcing them to shut temporarily.

A motorbike driver avoids road construction by mounting the sidewalk.
