Major mountain pass to Vietnam’s Da Lat to partially close for landslide damage repair

The provincial Department of Construction announced that traffic will be restricted on a section of the pass in Xuan Huong-Da Lat Ward from 5:00 am on January 9 to 5:00 pm on January 15.

All vehicles and pedestrians will be barred from traveling between the foot of Prenn Pass and Datanla Waterfall to allow construction crews to fix slope failures.

During the closure, residents and tourists are advised to use alternative routes, including Mimosa Pass along National Highway 20 or Sacom Tuyen Lam Pass, both of which are currently operating normally.

The Department of Construction asked the local management board for project investment and construction and Deo Ca Construction JSC to deploy on-site personnel, install barriers, and set up road signs and traffic guidance in line with the approved construction plan.

Traffic police from the provincial police department and the Xuan Huong-Da Lat Ward administration were told to jointly step up patrols and traffic control throughout the construction period to ensure public safety and order.

Earlier, a major landslide occurred on the Prenn Pass in November last year.

At that time, a reinforced concrete retaining structure on the downhill side of the road slid into a ravine.

The road surface also developed a series of cracks stretching about 100 meters, encroaching deep into the traffic lane in the direction from Da Lat toward Ho Chi Minh City.

Subsequent inspections revealed additional damage.

Authorities later detected a new crack approximately 50 meters long on the uphill slope, raising concerns that the earth and rock mass could collapse onto the roadway during prolonged rainfall.

Prenn Pass is a vital transport corridor for Da Lat, serving both local residents and large numbers of tourists traveling between the highland tourist attraction and southern provinces and cities.