Lang Co—my youth lagoon /09/ Photo

Photographer’s Note

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This is the picture I took in 04-2001 of the Japanese workers as they were starting the excavation of Hai Van tunnel that lies on highway 1 and locates between Lang Co town and Lien Chieu. With the 6.28-km length, it is the longest one in Southeast Asia. Although the photo shows workers at their first days of excavation, route planning and design works was started in 01-1998.

Built by the French 6 decades ago, the 20-km Hai Van Pass has long been considered a major bottleneck, so the concept of a tunnel to bypass the long route over the top had long been a dream.

The tunnel was officially opened in June 5th, 2005 but I only had chance to return to the same site in March 2007.

Completed at the price tag of US$133 million, the main tunnel is 11.9 meters wide with a second smaller tunnel running alongside the main tunnel used for maintenance and emergencies; it can be expanded as traffic increases and is currently connected to the main tunnel by 15 cross-tunnels. The tunnels have lighting, fire alarms, communication, water supply and treatment, ventilation fans, and radio broadcast systems. Taking the tunnel, traffic reduces the distance between Danang and Hue by nearly 14km and saves more than an hour on traveling times over the old Hai Van Pass dangerous route.

Hai Van Tunnel is one of the 30 largest tunnels in the world.

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nicol_g, mikecone, TRASH has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

nicol_g (759) 2007-05-09 16:46

Hello Thanh,
Thank you for the information - it's useful, especially for those considering a visit/ trip in the area.
I like the image:... somehow 'dynamic' - the workers seem engaged in their activity (well, less one :) - in the right side of the frame); an effective use of the rock as the background here.
A good illustration to sustain the information you share.
Warm regards.

mikecone (15) 2007-05-09 20:17

Hi Thanh:
I am glad you posted this.
After a long consideration, I realized this wild location near "Suoi Ba" (Stream Number Three) where my platoon patrolled every other night to prevent the VCs from descending to lagoon and penetrating into the peninsula. It's good that after all those blood and lives have been lost, finally American can return to build the tunnel along side with the Japanese.
Without this picture, we cannot see how the history changed its pages.
Thank you,
Mike

TRASH (0) 2007-05-09 21:22

Without the love and the concern about future for his home-village, the photographer hadn't pay that much attention on the progress of development of this location.
More than just taking the photo of such important moment, you are the witness of the transformation on Lang Co—an exemplary unit among a country—from war to peace, from wildness to civilization.
I am one of the frequent travelers who went across this area since the days when the Hai Van Pass divided turns for traffic directions up and down due to the limited width of National Route 1. If I don't see your capture of the excavation, it's hard to track back how the steps have been done.
Thanks for the embeded links with accurate information.
MQ

Yuanclarkson (38) 2007-05-09 22:09

I know that you just returned from a long trip to China, Cambodia and Vietnam, with many many pictures to be posted. Instead, you "stayed" longer with your village and told us about different faces of it. Perhaps your account about Lang Co is the most informative one so far. With this, you deserve my respect.
Take care./Yuan

Banhien (108) 2007-05-11 7:07 [Comment]