D'ran pass, da lat's gateway, reopens after month-long closure due to cracked hill

D'ran pass has reopened after authorities cleared a 60,000 cubic meter cracked and landslide-prone hill, which had blocked da lat's main access route for over one month.

According to the Lam Dong Department of Construction, vehicles under 16 seats and trucks under 5 tons are permitted to use D'ran pass on national route 20, passing through Xuan Truong Ward, Da Lat, starting from 9 am today. Larger trucks and passenger cars exceeding these regulations, traveling between the former Lam Dong and Ninh Thuan provinces, must continue to use national route 27 and provincial road 729.

The cracked hill on D'ran pass has been cut down. Photo: Khanh Huong

The cracked hill on D'ran pass has been cut down. Photo: Khanh Huong

As the area remains an active construction site and heavy rain and storms continue, the Department of Construction advises drivers to avoid using the pass at night due to fog and heavy rain reducing visibility. Vehicles must reduce speed and adhere to road signs when traversing the repaired section.

In late October, prolonged heavy rainfall led to an upslope embankment collapse on D'ran pass, bringing down earth, rocks, and pine trees that blocked the road. The hill above developed cracks, with an estimated 60,000 cubic meters of unstable earth and rock at risk of further landslides.

The Lam Dong Provincial People's Committee issued an emergency construction order, allocating 5 billion VND for the remediation efforts. Over the past one month, the construction unit deployed numerous excavators and trucks to dig and cut down the landslide-affected section of the hill.