1 GENERAL PROVISIONS

1.1 Scope

This regulation stipulates the mandatory technical requirements and management requirements that must be complied with in the investment, construction, renovation, and upgrading of urban transportation works.

This regulation does not include transportation works such as urban railways, seaports, inland waterway ports, and airports.

1.2 Applicable Entities

This regulation applies to organizations and individuals involved in the investment, construction, renovation, and upgrading of urban transportation works.

1.3 Referenced Documents

The referenced documents below are essential for the application of this regulation. In cases where the referenced documents are amended, supplemented, or replaced, the latest versions shall apply.

QCVN 01:2021/BXD, National Technical Regulation on Construction Planning;

QCVN 07-2:2023/BXD, National Technical Regulation on Technical Infrastructure System – Drainage Works;

QCVN 07-7:2023/BXD, National Technical Regulation on Technical Infrastructure System – Lighting Works;

QCVN 10:2014/BXD, National Technical Regulation on Construction of Facilities Accessible to Persons with Disabilities.

1.4 Terms and Definitions

In this regulation, the following terms are understood as follows:

1.4.1

Urban Road

A road located within the administrative boundaries of inner cities, inner towns, and townlets, as determined in the urban planning scheme approved by competent authorities.

1.4.2

Square

An area in an urban setting with open space, a focal point of the city combining architectural works and the transportation system; surrounded by access roads and large-scale construction works with different functions.

1.4.3

Traffic Volume

The number of vehicles (or people) passing through a road cross-section in a unit of time (hour or day-night).

1.4.4

Design Traffic Volume

The number of passenger car units converted from other vehicle types running on the road, passing through a cross-section in a unit of time, calculated for a future year. The future year is the 20th year for urban roads and the 15th year for other types of newly constructed roads and all types of upgraded roads in urban areas, from 3 to 5 years for traffic organization and road repair.

1.4.5

Capacity

The maximum traffic flow that vehicles can pass through a cross-section (lane, group of lanes) under certain road, traffic, and environmental conditions.

1.4.6

Maximum Flow Rate

The maximum number of vehicles in the peak hour calculated through the peak 15 minutes of that hour (peak 15-minute traffic volume x 4).

1.4.7

Maximum Capacity

The capacity determined under certain ideal conventional conditions.

1.4.8

Design Capacity

The capacity determined under the prevailing conditions of the designed road. The design capacity is determined by reducing the maximum capacity according to the common correction factors considering the design parameters not reaching the ideal conditions.

1.4.9

Design Speed

The speed used to calculate the limiting geometric parameters of the road in difficult cases.

1.4.10

Public Transport

A system that serves the transportation of passengers traveling in urban areas by public transport vehicles such as buses, rapid buses, urban railways, etc.

1.4.11

Rapid Bus

A type of public transport by bus with a high passenger carrying capacity, high operating speed, running on dedicated lanes, with a modern and synchronous infrastructure system.

1.4.12

Urban Transportation Works

Including urban roads, road bridges, road tunnels in urban areas; road sign system; drainage system; public transport facilities and other works and auxiliary equipment of urban roads.

2 TECHNICAL PROVISIONS

2.1 General Requirements

2.1.1 Urban transportation works must ensure traffic safety, meet the travel needs at the selected service level, provide equal access for all participants in traffic, and create diversity in the choice of modes of travel for everyone.

2.1.2 Investment in the construction of urban transportation works must comply with the planning approved by competent authorities and the regulations on management of road traffic infrastructure.

2.1.3 The structure of urban transportation works must ensure stability, durability, suitability with natural conditions, and adaptability to climate change and sea level rise.

2.1.4 Urban transportation works must ensure access for fire trucks to construction works and fire hydrants.

2.1.5 Urban transportation works must ensure accessibility for persons with disabilities in accordance with the provisions of QCVN 10:2014/BXD.

2.2 Alignment, Vertical Profile, Cross-section of Urban Roads

2.2.1 Urban Road Alignment

2.2.1.1 Minimum sight distance on the alignment and vertical profile of the road:

– The stopping sight distance must always be ensured in all cases;

– It is not allowed to build structures and plant trees higher than 0.5 m within the range required to ensure sight distance;

– For renovated urban roads and new roads on particularly difficult terrain, if there are economic – technical bases, it is allowed to reduce the sight distance values given in Table 1, in which case there must be speed limit signs and combined with other speed control measures.

Table 1 – Limiting Design Values for Road Alignment and Vertical Profile

2.2.1.2 Horizontal curve radius

The minimum limited, ordinary minimum and minimum radii for curves without requiring superelevation shall be taken from Table 1.

2.2.1.3 Turning radius for cul-de-sacs:

– The minimum turning radius for roundabout type is 10 m;

– The minimum area for non-roundabout type turning space is 12 m x 12 m.

2.2.1.4 U-turn radius at median openings:

– Ensure that median openings on the road have sufficient dimensions for vehicles to make U-turns;

– In case the road width is not sufficient for U-turns, other solutions must be provided for vehicles to make safe U-turns without affecting traffic flow on the road.

2.2.1.5 Connecting tangents and circular curves:

– For roads with a design speed greater than or equal to 60 km/h, the tangent and circular curve are connected by a transition curve;

– When the circular curve is superelevated, the superelevation transition section is placed coinciding with the transition curve. When there is no transition curve, the superelevation transition section is placed half on the curve and half on the tangent.

2.2.1.6 For expressways, urban arterials, urban main roads and other roads with 4 lanes or more, with a median, additional stormwater and surface water collection systems must be designed at the median and at places where water accumulates at superelevated sections.

2.2.1.7 Detailed vertical profile of urban roads (roadway, median, sidewalks) must be designed; the elevation interfaces between urban roads and adjacent functional areas on both sides must ensure stormwater drainage requirements.

2.2.2 Vertical alignment of urban roads

2.2.2.1 The designed vertical profile of the road represents the design elevation of the roadway surface, determined along the centerline of the roadway or the edge of the roadway. In case there is a tramway in the middle of the road, the vertical profile is determined along the tramway centerline if the tramway has the same elevation as the road.

2.2.2.2 The design elevation of the road must be in accordance with the urban ground elevation and surface drainage planning and the overall architecture of the construction areas on both sides of the urban road, while ensuring the required vertical clearance for operation.

2.2.2.3 For roads in mountainous areas and upgraded urban roads, in case of difficult and limited terrain conditions, if there are sufficient economic and technical justifications, the maximum slope specified in Table 1 may be increased by an additional 1% for urban roads, 2% for regional and internal roads. The longitudinal slope in tunnels (except for tunnel lengths less than 50 m) and on overpass approach roads must not exceed 4% when there are animal-drawn vehicles operating. For roads with a vertical profile for each traffic direction, the maximum downgrade slope may be increased by 2% compared to the maximum longitudinal slope given in Table 1.

2.2.2.4 On curved road sections with a radius of 15 m to 45 m, the maximum slope given in Table 1 must be reduced by the longitudinal slope values given in Table 2.

Table 2 – Slope reduction on curves

2.2.2.5 When the longitudinal slope of urban roads is less than 0.3%, zigzag gutters must be designed with a minimum gutter slope of 0.3% and stormwater inlets must be provided at places where water accumulates.

2.2.2.6 When the road intersects with a railway, the longitudinal slope at the intersection must not exceed 4%, within the railway right-of-way, the road longitudinal slope must not exceed 2.5% (excluding the section between the two rails).

2.2.2.7 Vertical curves are designed at locations where the slope changes on the longitudinal profile when the absolute sum of the two adjacent slopes must be equal to or greater than the following: for design speeds greater than or equal to 60 km/h, it is 1%, and for design speeds less than 60 km/h, it is 2%. The shape of the vertical curve is a second-order parabola or a circular curve.

2.2.2.8 The minimum radius of vertical curves is taken from Table 1; in special cases, when there are economic and technical justifications, the minimum radius may be reduced by one level.

2.2.3 Cross-section of urban roads

2.2.3.1 The cross-section of urban roads is a space wide enough to meet technical requirements for accommodating different modes of transport according to actual or future operational needs, which may include: motorway, public transit lanes, non-motorized lanes, auxiliary lanes, on-street parking spaces, sidewalks, land reserve for future expansion (if any), and space for structures and equipment to ensure traffic organization and control.

2.2.3.2 Roadway of urban roads

2.2.3.2.1 Urban expressways

The elements of an urban expressway roadway (number of lanes, lane width, safety width, road width) are specified in Table 3.

Table 3 – Minimum dimensions of urban road cross-section

2.2.3.2.2 Urban class roads

– Lane width and road width are specified in Table 3;

– The roadways for through urban traffic and internal area traffic must be separated;

– If the roadway for traffic has 4 lanes or more, a median must be provided to separate the two opposite traffic flows, the minimum median width is 2 m. In case of upgraded and rehabilitated roads with limited right-of-way, rigid barriers or guardrails may be used.

2.2.3.2.3 Regional class roads

The number of lanes, lane width, and road width are specified in Table 3.

2.2.3.2.4 Internal class roads

– The number of lanes, lane width, and road width are specified in Table 3;

– For residential cluster roads in existing urban areas with construction constraints, the number of lanes, lane width, and road width may be reduced to suit the specific existing conditions.

2.2.3.2.5 For upgraded urban roads, the widths of road classes may be reduced to suit the specific existing conditions.

2.2.3.2.6 Provisions on the elements of urban roadways:

– The minimum geometric dimensions are given in Table 3;

– The actual number of lanes for a road is determined depending on the design traffic volume of the peak hour in the future year Nh, the calculated throughput for one lane Ptt and the throughput capacity utilization factor Z:

Number of lanes: n = N_h / Z x P_tt (lanes);

– The design traffic volume of the peak hour in the future year is determined based on forecasts. In case there is insufficient actual data, it is approximately calculated as 0.10 to 0.15 of the daily traffic volume;

– The throughput capacity utilization factor is the ratio of the design traffic volume to the calculated throughput, determined according to Table 4;

– The cross slope of the roadway is specified in Table 5;

– The sidewalk width is taken from Table 6 depending on the road type and design class;

– On curved road sections with a radius less than 250 m, the roadway must be widened.

Table 4 – Design throughput capacity utilization factor of urban roads

Table 5 – Roadway cross slope

2.2.3.3 Sidewalk

2.2.3.3.1 The sidewalk is a part of the urban road that has many functions: arranging the walkway for pedestrians, bicycles, greenery, urban technical infrastructure works, public spaces, and land reserve.

2.2.3.3.2 The width of the sidewalk is taken according to Table 6, depending on the type and design grade of the road.

2.2.3.3.3 The sidewalk section for pedestrians must be paved with hard materials for pedestrians to conveniently walk on, have good drainage, ensure environmental sanitation, and be suitable for the landscape architecture.

2.2.3.3.4 In case there is an open storm water ditch on the sidewalk, measures must be taken to ensure the safety of people and vehicles participating in traffic.

2.2.3.3.5 The minimum width of a pedestrian lane on the sidewalk is specified as 0.75 m.

2.2.3.3.6 For sidewalk sections that are partially cut to widen the roadway at bus stops, the remaining sidewalk width must not be less than 2 m and must be calculated to have sufficient width to meet pedestrian demand.

Table 6 – Minimum width of sidewalks along urban road types

2.2.3.3.7 The capacity of 1 pedestrian lane is given in Table 7.

Table 7 – Capacity of 1 pedestrian lane

2.2.3.3.8 Cross slope of sidewalks

The cross slope of sidewalks is specified to be a minimum of 1% and a maximum of 3%.

2.2.3.3.9 Curb

– The top of the curb on the sidewalk must be at least 12.5 cm and at most 30 cm higher than the edge of the vehicle lane; on median strips and traffic islands, it must be at least 30 cm;

– At turns into residential areas, the curb height is 5 cm to 8 cm and sloping curbs are used;

– For internal roads and renovated and upgraded roads, it is allowed to reduce the height of the sidewalk curb when considering the existing ground elevation of the residential area, but not less than 8 cm.

2.2.3.3.10 Sidewalks must ensure accessibility for persons with disabilities in accordance with the provisions of QCVN 10:2014/BXD.

2.2.3.4 Walkways (within the scope of sidewalks)

2.2.3.4.1 The number of pedestrian lanes, lane width, and minimum walkway width are specified in Table 3.

2.2.3.4.2 The cross slope of the walkway surface is a minimum of 1% and a maximum of 3%.

2.2.3.4.3 The longitudinal slope of walkways and sidewalks in case it exceeds 40% and the road length is greater than 200 m, step-type up and down paths must be made. At-grade pedestrian crossings must ensure a width greater than 6 (4) m for urban roads and greater than 4 (3) m for regional roads; The distance between 2 pedestrian crossings outside the scope of traffic intersections must be ensured to be greater than 300 m for urban roads and greater than 200 m for regional roads.

NOTE: The value in parentheses () is used in limited conditions and when the number of crossing pedestrians is not large.

2.2.3.4.4 In cases where it is not possible to safely organize pedestrian crossings at grade by traffic signal control, pedestrian overpasses or underpasses must be arranged at intersections, at locations crossing roads with a traffic volume greater than 2,000 pcuphpl and a pedestrian volume greater than 100 people/h (calculated at peak hours).

2.2.3.4.5 The width of pedestrian overpasses and underpasses is determined according to the calculated peak hour pedestrian volume, but must be greater than 3 m.

2.2.3.4.6 Walkways must ensure accessibility for persons with disabilities in accordance with the provisions of QCVN 10:2014/BXD.

2.2.3.4.7 Walkways must meet aesthetic requirements and must be designed to increase pedestrian connectivity with public transport stops or stations.

2.2.3.5 Bicycle Paths

2.2.3.5.1 A bicycle path is a path serving bicycle traffic, which can be designed in the form of an independent route dedicated to bicycles (can be shared with pedestrians and other non-motorized vehicles) or a bicycle lane within the scope of the vehicle lane of urban roads.

2.2.3.5.2 For bicycle lanes, the geometric technical parameters, flatness, and cross slope must be equivalent to the adjacent car lane.

2.2.3.5.3 Independent bicycle paths must ensure geometric technical parameters not inferior to the requirements for urban roads with a technical grade of 20 km/h.

2.2.3.5.4 The maximum longitudinal slope of bicycle paths is 4%.

2.2.3.5.5 The number of bicycle lanes, the width of 1 lane, and the minimum width of bicycle paths are specified in Table 3. In case of low bicycle traffic, the minimum width of the bicycle path is 2.5 m. In case there are periodically specialized vehicles traveling on the bicycle path, or the bicycle path is shared with pedestrians or other non-motorized vehicles, the minimum width of the bicycle path is 4.0 m.

2.2.3.5.6 For urban roads with a design speed greater than or equal to 80 km/h, there must be a rigid separator between the section for motor vehicles and the section for bicycles.

2.2.3.5.7 Bicycle paths must meet aesthetic requirements.

2.2 Traffic Intersections

2.3.1 Organization of Traffic Intersections

2.3.1.1 The principles of organizing urban road intersections are given in Table 8.

2.3.1.2 The type of intersection is based on the principles of traffic organization given in Table 8, while also considering land use conditions, investment capacity, and the possibility of future renovation and upgrading.

2.3.1.3 Urban Roads Intersecting at Grade with Railways

2.3.1.3.1 The minimum intersection angle is 60°.

2.3.1.3.2 Urban roads within a minimum of 16 m from the outermost rail edge must have a longitudinal slope of 0% or according to the superelevation slope of the railway; in difficult cases, not less than 10 m. The next section of the urban road has a slope not exceeding 3% over a minimum length of 20 m; in mountainous areas and difficult terrain, the slope of these sections must not exceed 6%.

2.3.1.3.3 The intersection must be outside the scope of the railway station, railway tunnel entrance, and station signal posts.

2.3.1.3.4 Measures must be taken to ensure traffic safety at the intersection between urban roads and railways. In case it cannot be ensured, a grade-separated intersection must be made.

Table 8 – Types of intersections in special and class I urban areas

2.3.2 Requirements for At-grade Intersections

2.3.2.1 General Requirements

2.3.2.1.1 The minimum angle between the approach roads to the intersection is 60°.

2.3.2.1.2 Intersections must be placed on straight road sections; in special cases where they must be placed on curves, the curve radius must be greater than the minimum normal radius.

2.3.2.1.3 Intersections are placed on road sections with a longitudinal slope not greater than 4%. If this condition is not met, design measures must be taken to ensure traffic safety.

2.3.2.1.4 Do not place immediately after the crest of a crest vertical curve if sight distance into the intersection is limited.

2.3.2.1.5 The scope of the traffic intersection must ensure proper stormwater drainage according to the design rainfall frequency.

2.3.2.2 Sight Distance

2.3.2.2.1 It must be ensured that drivers on all approach roads to the intersection clearly recognize the presence of the intersection and the road sign system related to the intersection from the specified distance of the current intersection design.

2.3.2.2.2 The specified stopping sight distance depends on the design speed of the approach roads to the intersection, taken from Table 1.

2.3.2.2.3 In case the calculated sight distance cannot be ensured, speed control measures must be taken.

2.3.2.3 Design Speed of At-grade Intersections

2.3.2.3.1 For through traffic streams, the design speed is equal to the design speed of the section outside the intersection. However, in some special cases, it is possible to consider reducing the design speed, but safety measures must be taken to ensure traffic safety in the intersection.

2.3.2.3.2 For right-turning and left-turning traffic streams, the design speed depends on the intersection construction space conditions and traffic conditions, but in all cases:

– For right-turning streams, the design speed does not exceed 0.6 times the design speed of the road section outside the intersection; For left-turning streams, the design speed does not exceed 0.4 times the design speed of the road section outside the intersection and does not exceed 25 km/h;

– In all cases, the minimum design speed is not less than 15 km/h for turning streams (left and right).

2.3.2.4 Curb Radius

2.3.2.4.1 For new designs, the curb radius at traffic intersections complies with the provisions in QCVN 01:2021/BXD.

2.3.2.4.2 In renovated urban areas, the curve radius at intersections is allowed to be reduced, but not less than 5 m.

2.3.2.4.3 On internal roads in residential areas, it is allowed to reduce the minimum radius according to the curb, but not less than 3 m.

2.3.2.5 Traffic Islands

2.3.2.5.1 A traffic island is a structure designed to eliminate excess areas between lanes for turning vehicles, clearly delineate turning traffic streams, fix conflict points, create a protected area for waiting turning vehicles, waiting to merge, create a refuge for pedestrians crossing the road, and arrange traffic control devices.

2.3.2.5.2 Traffic islands must be arranged conveniently for priority vehicle directions, creating a clearly organized intersection.

2.3.2.5.3 The shape of the islands must follow the trajectory of turning vehicles.

2.3.2.5.4 Traffic islands have a minimum size of one side of 2 m to provide a refuge for cyclists and pedestrians when crossing the road.

2.3.2.5.4 Traffic islands must be clearly visible both during the day and at night.

2.3.2.6 Acceleration/Deceleration Lanes

2.3.2.6.1 Acceleration/deceleration lanes are arranged at right-turn or left-turn locations.

2.3.2.6.2 The acceleration/deceleration lane is called an acceleration lane if the vehicle enters from a road with a low speed to a road with a high speed, and a deceleration lane is arranged if the vehicle enters from a road with a high speed to a road with a low speed.

2.3.2.6.3 The technical design requirements for roads for acceleration/deceleration lanes must comply with the current regulations on urban road design depending on the design speed.

2.3.3 Grade-separated Intersections

2.3.3.1 Grade-separated intersections are selected through economic-technical analysis. The type of intersection is implemented according to the instructions in Table 8.

2.3.3.2 The technical standards of the ramps in grade-separated intersections depend on the design speed of the connecting ramps (turning ramps); the minimum radius, superelevation rate, transition section length, cross-sectional dimensions, and maximum slope of the ramps must comply with the limits specified in Table 1.

2.4 Squares

2.4.1 Squares are divided into 3 types according to their functions: Central squares, squares in front of public buildings, and traffic squares.

2.4.1.1 A central square is the space in front of urban-level architectural works, where rallies, commemorations, military parades on holidays, etc., are organized.

2.4.1.2 A square in front of public buildings is the space in front of large public buildings in the city (stadium, cultural palace, theater, exhibition center, and other public buildings), which can be a focal point for main road axes or beside main road axes.

2.4.1.3 A traffic square is the space in front of traffic works such as bridges, tunnels, stations, airports, river ports, and large-scale traffic intersections.

2.4.2 Squares are designed to suit the function and characteristics of each type of square and must meet the requirements of urban design and the regulations on landscape architecture of the area. Traffic in the square area must be organized simply and clearly to ensure quick and smooth flow.

2.4.3 Squares must ensure accessibility for persons with disabilities in accordance with the provisions of QCVN 10:2014/BXD.

2.5 Road Foundation

2.5.1 The urban road foundation must be designed for the entire width of the street, including the carriageway, median strip, sidewalk, greenery strip within the red line boundary.

2.5.2 The design elevation of the urban road foundation must ensure the controlling elevation of the construction planning and urban planning, ensure urban road drainage appropriate to the design rainfall frequency of the works, and ensure convenient traffic from the urban road to the residential areas on both sides of the road.

2.5.3 The road foundation must ensure stability, have sufficient strength to withstand the impacts of vehicles and natural factors, and meet the landscape, ecological and environmental requirements of the area according to the technical regulations for road foundation design.

2.5.4 It is necessary to investigate and determine the highest flood level on both sides of the embankment slopes as well as the flood duration in the most unfavorable season, investigate and determine the highest groundwater levels under the cut and embankment foundations to serve the prediction of the design moisture (most unfavorable moisture) within the area of influence of the road foundation and to serve the selection of design solutions to limit the intrusion of moisture sources and fast drainage solutions for pavement layers, solutions to reinforce the subgrade soil of the pavement bottom to limit groundwater permeation into the pavement material layers.

2.5.5 When the catchment area of the mountainside flowing to the road is large or when the height of the cut slope is greater than or equal to 12 m.

2.5.5.1 Crest channels must be arranged to block water from flowing to the road and lead the water to drainage works, rivers, or depressions next to the road, not allowing water to flow directly into the side ditches.

2.5.5.2 In road sections with the possibility of slope slipping and sliding, concrete or masonry crest channels must be used to ensure fast drainage and prevent water from seeping into the soil, ensuring that the soil on the mountainside and road slopes does not become wet.

2.5.6 For embankment foundations and cut roads with slope heights greater than 12 m, it is mandatory to calculate the stability against sliding of the road foundation slopes.

2.5.7 For road embankments on soft soil foundations, road embankments across river floodplains, valleys, road foundations affected by sea level rise and tides, and road foundations running along riverbanks, slopes, and flooded roads, it is mandatory to calculate the stability of the road foundation slopes against erosion, taking into account the additional impact of hydrodynamic forces when the water recedes.

2.6 Pavement Structure

2.6.1 The carriageway, acceleration/deceleration lanes, safety strips, emergency stopping strips, squares, and parking lots must have a pavement structure.

2.6.2 The pavement structure must be suitable with the traffic volume, vehicle composition, road grade, use characteristics of the works, and urban sanitation requirements. The pavement structure must have sufficient strength, ensure stability in strength, not generate dust, ensure flatness, roughness, easy drainage according to the technical regulations for pavement design.

2.7 Specialized roads serving transportation for industrial parks, factories, warehouses, ports (the composition of vehicles running on the road is mainly heavy trucks, tractor-trailers, and container vehicles) are regulated as follows:

– The maximum longitudinal slope of the designed road is 4%;

– The maximum superelevation rate is 6%;

– The minimum radius of horizontal curves calculated for the case where there are many trailers on the road must be suitable with the type of vehicle with the largest dimensions;

– There must be measures to reduce noise (noise barriers, isolating greenery strips, etc.) and reduce air pollution when specialized roads go through densely populated areas.

2.8 Public Transport Facilities

2.8.1 General Requirements

2.8.1.1 The bus route network and the number of bus routes must be determined in the urban master plan.

2.8.1.2 The minimum length of a bus route is 5 km.

2.8.1.3 Types of urban railway public transport with medium to very high passenger carrying capacity, due to large investment costs and complex construction, must be researched from the regional and provincial planning stages.

2.8.1.4 The construction of the public transport network must be considered comprehensively, integrating infrastructure support and design to allow safe and convenient access to multi-modal services of the network, while also facilitating easy access between public transport and other individual transport modes.

2.8.1.5 Accessibility for persons with disabilities to use public transport services must be ensured in accordance with the provisions of QCVN 10:2014/BXD.

2.8.2 Bus Stops

2.8.2.1 Stops must not be arranged on curved road sections with radii smaller than the minimum normal horizontal curve radius and on road sections that do not ensure sight distance.

2.8.2.2 The minimum distance between bus stops in the same direction of travel is 300 m. Bus stops must not be arranged symmetrically in case the road does not have a median strip.

2.8.2.3 Bus stops must have a design that is friendly to persons with disabilities and easily accessible as well as convenient and safe for pedestrians.

2.8.3 Bus Terminals

2.8.3.1 Priority should be given to combining bus terminals with urban bus stations or terminals of other public transport modes such as rapid buses and urban trams to increase connectivity and reduce costs.

2.8.3.2 Bus terminals are fully or partially integrated with the following necessary functions: bus parking lot, connecting parking lot, internal roads in the parking lot, waiting area, ticket sales and inspection station, safety security department, landscape, and other service utilities.

2.8.3.3 The design speed of buses inside the bus terminal must be lower than the speed of the entrance ramp, averaging below 20 km/h.

2.8.3.4 The width and area of the bus parking area varies depending on the parking arrangement (45°, 60°, 90°). The width of a parking stall is 3 m, including the width of the bus and the clearance on both sides of the vehicle body. The minimum right-turn radius of the bus in the parking lot is 15 m. The entrance to the bus terminal is at least 7.5 m for 2-lane roads and 15 m for 4-lane roads.

2.8.4 Rapid Bus Lanes and Roads

2.8.4.1 Rapid bus roads can be arranged in the following forms: running on dedicated lanes in the median strip area; running on dedicated lanes adjacent to the sidewalk area; running on dedicated routes.

2.8.4.2 Dedicated lanes for rapid buses must be designed in all cases and there must be solutions to separate rapid bus lanes from other lanes operating on the same urban road.

2.8.4.3 At intersections, priority must be given to rapid buses operating by an automatic signal system and controlling other traffic flows crossing through.

2.8.4.4 The minimum width of a rapid bus lane is 3.5 m, the minimum width of the safety strip is 0.5 m.

2.8.5 Rapid Bus Stops

2.8.5.1 The minimum distance between stops on a rapid bus route is 500 m.

2.8.5.2 The distance from the stop to the traffic intersection must ensure a minimum of 30 m from the edge of the pedestrian crossing marking to the rear of the rapid bus at the stop closest to the intersection (for stops located after the intersection) and from the stop line to the front of the rapid bus at the stop closest to the intersection (for stops located before the intersection).

2.8.5.3 The minimum length of a rapid bus stop is 23 m.

2.8.5.4 The design of rapid bus stop shelters must ensure unobstructed visibility from both inside and outside the station. Amenities for passengers must be arranged, including seating, a minimum of 6 to 8 seats at each point; a real-time information system about the rapid bus route’s itinerary, a map of the rapid bus system, a map of other public transport systems connecting to the rapid bus, an automatic ticketing system, and a security system.

2.8.5.5 In the rapid bus stop area, a rigid pavement structure must be used with a width equal to the width of the rapid bus road, a length equal to the total length of the stop and a reinforced length of 30 m in both directions.

2.8.6 Rapid Bus Transfer Stations and Terminals

2.8.6.1 Rapid bus transfer stations must be designed in an integrated form with other public transport modes. In case of arranging an independent transfer station, it must be ensured that the travel distance between the two transport modes is less than 500 m.

2.8.6.2 Rapid bus terminals must ensure space for rapid buses to turn around and the number of rapid buses parked during off-peak hours.

2.8.6.3 Public service utilities and toilets for passengers must be arranged.

2.8.7 Transport Connection Requirements

2.8.7.1 Connecting Parking Points

2.8.7.1.1 These are parking points connecting individual vehicles such as bicycles, motorcycles, cars with public transport vehicles such as buses, rapid buses, and urban trams to improve the service quality of the urban public transport network.

2.8.7.1.2 Priority should be given to combining with public parking lots, bus and rapid bus terminals, and urban railway stations.

2.8.7.1.3 The functional areas of connecting parking points include: individual vehicle parking area, public transport access area, transport utilities such as signposts, information boards, lighting devices, and sanitation.

2.8.7.1.4 The maximum walking distance between the farthest point in the connecting parking point and the access door to public transport vehicles is 500 m.

2.8.7.2 Connecting Drop-off/Pick-up Points

2.8.7.2.1 These are areas designed for passenger drop-off/pick-up when accessing public transport services such as bus stops, rapid bus stops, urban railway stations, airports, river ports, etc. Especially effective when combined with drop-off/pick-up services such as taxis.

2.8.7.2.2 Priority should be given to designing as a separate straight or circular one-way lane to maximize length and minimize area, ensure smooth traffic flow, and avoid conflicts causing congestion.

2.8.7.2.3 Design with a direct connection to the entrance and exit of the station for the convenience of passengers and drivers to meet each other in the fastest way. The maximum walking distance from the station entrance/exit to the connecting drop-off/pick-up point does not exceed 500 m.

2.9 Urban bridges

2.9.1 Traffic safety must be ensured on and under the bridge.

2.9.2 The location and architecture of the bridge must be consistent with the construction planning, urban planning and urban design approved by competent authorities.

2.9.3 The road surface on the bridge must have roughness, drainage slope, cross fall, superelevation, etc. in accordance with the selected applicable standards.

2.9.4 Abutments and piers must be protected against collisions by vehicles and vessels passing under the bridge.

2.9.5 For river (sea) bridges, the vertical clearance from the highest water level (design water level) to the lowest point of the span structure must be at least 0.5 m (if there is driftwood, at least 1.0 m); to the bearing seats must be at least 0.25 m, while ensuring navigation (if any) with clearances depending on the river class, measured from the design navigable water level according to current regulations on inland waterway transport.

2.9.6 For road overpasses

2.9.6.1 The minimum vertical clearance measured from the highest point of the roadway is 5 m for expressways; 4.75 m for urban and regional roads; 4.50 m for internal roads.

2.9.6.2 In case the bicycle and pedestrian traffic is separated from the automobile roadway, the minimum vertical clearance is 2.5 m.

2.9.7 For urban roads crossing railways or tramways, the vertical clearance shall be taken according to the regulations on the architectural clearance of the railway or tramway.

2.9.8 Both sides of the bridge must have handrails or barriers to ensure the safety of vehicles and pedestrians on the bridge.

2.9.9 For bridges designed with pedestrian walkways, accessibility for people with disabilities must be ensured according to the provisions of QCVN 10:2014/BXD.

2.9.10 The height of the pedestrian walkway on the bridge must be greater than or equal to 0.3 m from the vehicle roadway surface. The minimum height of the handrail on the bridge is 1,070 mm.

2.9.11 The drainage system on the bridge deck must ensure that rainwater is quickly collected into drainage pipes and discharged into the urban stormwater drainage system.

2.9.11.1 The cross slope of the bridge deck (on sections without superelevation) is 2%.

2.9.11.2 The minimum cross-sectional area of drainage pipes must be 1.0 cm²/1 m² of bridge deck.

2.9.11.3 The clear diameter of drainage pipes must not be less than 150 mm.

2.9.11.4 Catch basin inlets must have covers and trash screens.

2.9.11.5 At locations with underpasses under the bridge, gutters and drainage pipes must be arranged to discharge water outside the underpass area.

2.9.12 Bridge structures must be able to withstand the most unfavorable loads and combinations of impacts throughout the service life of the structure.

2.9.13 Requirements for lighting and traffic safety on bridges must be ensured.

2.10 Urban underground traffic structures

2.10.1 Requirements for urban underground traffic structures

2.10.1.1 Urban underground traffic structures must ensure reasonable, economical and efficient land use; reasonable and synchronous connection with underground structures and between underground traffic structures and above-ground structures; ensure traffic safety requirements, environmental protection requirements; safety requirements for adjacent above-ground structures.

2.10.1.2 Urban underground traffic structures must be prioritized for construction in urban centers, areas with limited land for traffic, or at intersections with high traffic volumes that often cause congestion.

2.10.1.3 The construction of urban underground traffic structures must be based on the characteristics of topography, geomorphology; the location of existing above-ground structures, as well as the network of underground technical infrastructure; engineering geological and hydrogeological conditions.

2.10.2 Construction space for urban road tunnels

2.10.2.1 When designing and constructing road tunnels in urban areas, underground space must be used economically and achieve economic and technical efficiency.

2.10.2.2 The space inside the tunnel must be arranged to meet the requirements of traffic clearance on the road as well as considering future expansion needs, installation of auxiliary equipment and tunnel operation and maintenance systems.

2.10.2.3 For pedestrian tunnels in urban areas, the use of tunnel space for other combined functions must be considered. Accessibility for people with disabilities must be ensured according to the provisions of QCVN 10:2014/BXD.

2.10.2.4 For urban road tunnels: it is allowed to construct traffic roads, public works such as parks, parking lots and other public works on the ground, but must not affect the safety and use of adjacent structures.

2.10.3 Regulations on geometric design of urban road tunnels

2.10.3.1 The plan of road tunnels must comply with the provisions in 2.2.1 and the limit values in Table 1 on sight distance and minimum horizontal curve radius.

2.10.3.2 The vertical profile of road tunnels must comply with the provisions in 2.2.2 and the limit values in Table 1 on minimum horizontal curve radius, minimum length of grade change, minimum crest vertical curve radius, minimum sag vertical curve radius, minimum length of vertical curve, minimum longitudinal slope to ensure natural drainage of edge gutters.

2.10.3.3 Cross-section of road tunnels

2.10.3.3.1 The cross-section of road tunnels must comply with the provisions in 2.2.3 and the minimum dimensions specified in Table 3 on the number of lanes of the roadway, lane width, safety strip width and Table 5 on the cross slope of the roadway.

2.10.3.3.2 The dimensions of the internal cross-section of traffic tunnels must be determined on the basis of ensuring the specified traffic volume for the design road class, considering additional space for installation of ventilation, lighting, emergency, signage equipment.

2.10.4 Requirements for auxiliary systems in road tunnels

2.10.4.1 Emergency escape tunnel system

2.10.4.1.1 For urban road tunnels with a length greater than or equal to 500 m, emergency escape tunnels must be constructed.

2.10.4.1.2 In case of constructing 2 tunnels on the route, it is not required to construct separate emergency escape tunnels, but one tunnel is used as an escape function for the other tunnel.

2.10.4.1.3 Cross tunnels connecting from the main tunnel to the emergency escape tunnel are constructed with a maximum distance of 400 m for people and a maximum of 1,600 m for cars.

2.10.4.2 Emergency stopping points in tunnels

Emergency stopping points must be constructed with a maximum distance of 400 m for each traffic direction.

2.10.5 Fire safety

Traffic tunnels must ensure fire safety in accordance with fire prevention and fighting laws and other relevant laws.

2.10.6 Ventilation system

2.10.6.1 Ventilation must ensure that the percentage of toxic gases is lower than the permissible concentration according to Table 9.

Table 9 – Maximum permissible concentrations of toxic gases

2.10.6.2 In case the natural ventilation of the tunnel does not meet the requirements for toxic gas ratios lower than the permissible concentration, an artificial ventilation system must be arranged.

2.10.6.3 The amount of smoke limiting visibility and the amount of exhaust gas must be controlled, meeting the regulations on the construction of traffic works.

2.10.7 Lighting system

A lighting system must be provided in road tunnels, ensuring smooth traffic as well as safety requirements for vehicles and people when passing through the tunnel. The lighting system for traffic tunnels must comply with QCVN 07-7:2023/BXD.

2.10.8 Communication, signal and sign system

A communication, signal and sign system must be arranged in road tunnels, ensuring the safety of people and vehicles when passing through the tunnel. The technical requirements of this system must comply with the selected applicable standards.

2.10.9 Water supply and drainage system

2.10.9.1 A water supply and drainage system must be provided for road tunnels, ensuring safe tunnel operation requirements.

2.10.9.2 The drainage system must ensure complete drainage of surface water flowing in from the tunnel portal and tunnel washing water. The drainage system in tunnels must comply with QCVN 07-2:2023/BXD.

2.10.9.3 The water supply system must ensure sufficient flow and pressure for the requirements of use, industrial hygiene and fire prevention and fighting in the tunnel.

2.11 Traffic monitoring stations

2.11.1 The purpose is to collect traffic data to serve the research and design of an effective and synchronous traffic monitoring and management system, while also meeting the needs for traffic data at the national and local levels.

2.11.2 Traffic monitoring devices are placed at a specific location on the road or intersections (especially intersections with high traffic volumes, often congested). This location usually represents the characteristics of a certain road section. The data obtained at this point will be used to extrapolate for the entire route.

2.11.3 Traffic monitoring devices must be integrated into the urban Intelligent Transportation System, helping to improve the efficiency of management and operation of the entire traffic in the city.

2.11.4 The video detection system or CCTV traffic camera system includes one or more cameras, a computer based on a microprocessor to digitize and analyze images as well as software to interpret images and convert them into traffic flow data.

2.11.5 The location of traffic cameras must be selected based on the level of observation coverage and maintenance requirements.

2.11.6 Traffic monitoring stations are under a traffic management and control center, which is a unit that uses technology to control the traffic network, monitor traffic signals, proactively deploy traffic management strategies to reduce congestion and coordinate with other traffic management units in special events, emergencies or in daily traffic.

2.11.7 Urban roads with tolls must apply non-stop toll collection technology.

2.12 Maintenance and Servicing

2.12.1 Maintenance of transport works must be carried out in accordance with the regulations, standards, and technical specifications on road works maintenance promulgated by competent authorities.

2.12.2 Transport work items must be regularly, periodically, and unexpectedly inspected throughout their service life to detect signs of degradation and damage to the works, serving as a basis for maintaining the works to ensure their design functions.

2.12.3 When detecting quality defects in some parts of transport works, or signs of danger that do not ensure safety for operation and use, a quality inspection must be conducted to provide a quality assessment and identify the causes of damage in order to have a timely maintenance and repair plan to remedy the damaged items of transport works.

2.12.4 Servicing and maintenance of transport works are carried out according to the approved annual plan and works maintenance procedures.

2.12.5 Strengthen the application of new technologies and materials to increase efficiency and save road maintenance and servicing costs, apply science and technology in regular quality monitoring and inspection of transport works.

3 IMPLEMENTATION ORGANIZATION

3.1 Transitional Provisions

3.1.1 Investment projects that have been approved before the effective date of this regulation shall continue to be implemented according to the provisions at the time of approval; the investment decision maker has the right to choose to apply this regulation.

3.1.2 Investment projects approved from the effective date of this regulation shall be implemented according to the provisions of this regulation.

3.2 State management agencies for construction in localities have the responsibility to organize the inspection of compliance with this regulation in the formulation, appraisal, approval and management of construction design.

3.3 The Ministry of Construction has the responsibility to disseminate and guide the application of this regulation to relevant entities. During the implementation of this regulation, if there are any problems, all opinions should be sent to the Department of Technical Infrastructure of the Ministry of Construction for guidance and handling.