From efficiently operating coastal highways to East-West axes currently receiving increased investment, transportation infrastructure is becoming a strategic "lever" for the entire region.
The Quy Nhon - Chi Thanh expressway, nearly 62 km long, passes through Gia Lai and Dak Lak provinces.
PHOTO: GIA BINH
Complete the North-South axis through the South Central region.
The Hoai Nhon - Quy Nhon expressway was opened to traffic at the end of April 2026, and the Quy Nhon - Chi Thanh expressway (invested by Project Management Board 85) was opened to traffic along its entire length on the evening of May 18th, contributing to the completion of the eastern North-South expressway axis through the South Central region.
Specifically, the Hoai Nhon - Quy Nhon route is over 70 km long with a total investment of over 12,400 billion VND. The Quy Nhon - Chi Thanh route is nearly 62 km long, with a total investment of over 14,800 billion VND, passing through Gia Lai and Dak Lak provinces. The Chi Thanh - Van Phong component project, the section through Dak Lak (invested by Project Management Board 7), was also fully opened to traffic at 10 PM on May 18th.
The Hoai Nhon - Quy Nhon expressway, over 70 km long, connects to the Quang Ngai - Hoai Nhon expressway.
PHOTO: DUC NHAT
The commissioning of these two routes will shorten travel time, reduce congestion on National Highway 1, and enhance transportation capacity in the central and southern coastal regions. Modern infrastructure also expands connectivity between logistics centers, seaports, industrial zones, and coastal tourist destinations.
In addition, the project contributes to strengthening national defense and security capabilities, improving disaster response capabilities, and promoting regional linkages. This is considered an important driving force for strong socio-economic development in the locality in the new period.
Boosting the economy and tourism.
The Cam Lam - Vinh Hao, Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet, and Phan Thiet - Dau Giay expressways are forming a backbone transportation axis along the South Central coast, with a total length of approximately 278 km.
These routes, put into operation in 2023-2024, have created a major turning point in regional connectivity. From being a traffic "bottleneck" for many years, the former coastal area of Binh Thuan has now become a high-speed corridor, promoting trade, logistics, and especially tourism. Travel time from Ho Chi Minh City to Mui Ne has been drastically reduced, from 5-7 hours to about 2.5 hours by car. This shortened travel time not only facilitates travel but also expands the potential for weekend tourism and strengthens inter-regional trade.
In early 2026, the Van Phong - Nha Trang expressway, over 83 km long, was completed and opened to traffic, opening up development opportunities for the key economic zone in the northern part of Khanh Hoa province and providing seamless transportation connections to southern and central provinces.
By 2025, Lam Dong province alone is expected to welcome approximately 20 million tourists, generating over 58,000 billion VND in tourism revenue. Destinations like Da Lat, La Gi, and Mui Ne are increasingly benefiting from modern transportation infrastructure.
Beyond tourism, the expressway system also paves the way for the development of maritime logistics, processing industries, and renewable energy. Goods from seaports and coastal industrial zones can connect more quickly with major consumption centers in the south, creating a long-term competitive advantage for the region.
Speed up the expressways to Da Lat.
The Tan Phu - Bao Loc and Bao Loc - Lien Khuong expressway projects are considered strategic infrastructure projects for the southern Central Highlands region.
The Tan Phu - Bao Loc project, nearly 66 km long, has a total investment of over 18,000 billion VND and is being implemented by Son Hai Group. Meanwhile, the Bao Loc - Lien Khuong route, approximately 73 km long, also has a total investment of nearly 18,000 billion VND and is being implemented by the T&T Group - Phuong Trang - Phuong Thanh consortium.
After commencing construction in 2025, the projects are now accelerating their progress. However, the biggest challenges remain land clearance, procedures for converting forest land, and obstacles related to bauxite mining planning.
Once completed, the travel time from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Lat is expected to decrease from approximately 7 hours to just over 3 hours. This will not only reduce pressure on National Highway 20 but also limit the risk of traffic congestion and accidents on mountain passes such as Bao Loc Pass.
These expressways also open up great opportunities for resort tourism, agricultural tourism, and promote the transportation of agricultural products, flowers, tea, and coffee from Lam Dong to seaports and international airports at lower costs.
The Khánh Lê Pass on National Highway 27C has a winding terrain and is frequently affected by landslides during the rainy season.
PHOTO: BA DUY
High expectations for the Nha Trang - Da Lat expressway.
The Nha Trang - Da Lat expressway project, with a total investment of over 25,058 billion VND, is currently undergoing final procedures by Khanh Hoa and Lam Dong provinces for early implementation.
The route is approximately 99 km long, with 4 lanes, connecting Dien Tho commune (Khanh Hoa) to the foot of Prenn Pass, Xuan Huong ward - Da Lat (Lam Dong). The project is invested in under the PPP - BOT model, in which the state participates with about 65% of the capital.
The Nha Trang - Da Lat expressway begins at the intersection with the eastern North-South expressway in Dien Tho commune (Khanh Hoa province).
PHOTO: BA DUY
Mr. Le Huyen, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Khanh Hoa province, emphasized: When put into operation, the travel time between Nha Trang and Da Lat is expected to decrease from 3.5 - 4 hours to about 1.5 - 2 hours. This will be a huge driving force to attract tourists to participate in tours connecting "sea and flowers," promoting tourism development throughout the region. At the same time, it will form a horizontal axis connecting the Central Highlands with the South Central coastal region, linking economic centers and seaports, meeting transportation needs.
The necessity of the project became even clearer after the serious landslide on National Highway 27C in the Khanh Le pass area at the end of 2025, which caused a prolonged disruption of traffic between Khanh Hoa and Lam Dong.
Opening up connections between the Central Highlands and the South Central Coast.
A series of strategic expressway projects are being implemented in the Central Highlands and South Central coastal regions, expected to create a breakthrough in infrastructure, promote regional connectivity, and reduce logistics costs. Among them, the Khanh Hoa - Buon Ma Thuot and Quy Nhon - Pleiku expressways are considered two important "driving axes" that will expand development opportunities for the entire region.
The North-South Expressway through Dak Lak officially opened to traffic along its entire length on May 18th.
PHOTO: HUU TU
The Khanh Hoa - Buon Ma Thuot expressway project is over 117 km long, with a total investment of nearly 22,000 billion VND, passing through Khanh Hoa and Dak Lak provinces. The road has 4 lanes, is divided into 3 component projects, and construction began in June 2023. According to the plan, the project is expected to be substantially completed in 2026 and put into operation in 2027.
Component project 1, approximately 32 km long, runs through Khanh Hoa province and is invested in by the Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee. By December 2025, the first 20 km of the route had been opened to traffic, six months ahead of schedule. When put into operation, this section will connect National Highway 1 with the Van Phong - Nha Trang expressway at the Hoa Thi interchange and connect to National Highway 26 at the Kim Cuong interchange.
Component Project 2, spanning over 37 km through Khanh Hoa and Dak Lak provinces and overseen by the Ministry of Construction, is considered the most challenging section of the entire route, traversing rugged terrain and featuring the Phuong Hoang tunnel and 10 large bridges.
Construction of the Quy Nhon - Gia Lai Expressway
PHOTO: TRAN HIEU
Component project 3, spanning over 48 km through Dak Lak province and implemented by the Dak Lak Provincial People's Committee, has been opened for technical traffic after more than 25 months of construction. This is an important horizontal axis connecting the Central Highlands with the coastal seaports of South Central Vietnam.
According to the report, the project has currently reached over 96% of its contract value. However, progress is still being affected by land clearance issues at some intersections, along the route corridor, and in resettlement areas. Mr. Truong Cong Thai, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Dak Lak province, requested that localities urgently resolve outstanding issues, expedite resettlement, and ensure construction progress.
Along with the Khanh Hoa - Buon Ma Thuot route, the Quy Nhon - Pleiku expressway is also considered a strategic project to open up trade for the Central Highlands. The project is approximately 125 km long, with a total investment of nearly 44,000 billion VND, connecting Gia Lai (formerly) with Binh Dinh (formerly). For many years, National Highway 19 has been the only vital transportation route connecting these two localities, but it has frequently been overloaded, posing a potential safety risk due to its complex mountainous terrain.
According to Mr. Pham Anh Tuan, Chairman of the Gia Lai Provincial People's Committee, the completed expressway will shorten travel time from Quy Nhon to Pleiku to about 1.5 - 2 hours instead of 3.5 - 4 hours as currently, and will also help reduce transportation costs by 40 - 50%.
Besides strengthening the connection between the Central Highlands and the South Central coastal region and the North-South expressway, the route also expands the strategic logistics corridor from the East Sea to the Central Highlands and connects trade with southern Laos and northeastern Cambodia via the Le Thanh International Border Gate.
The project is expected to boost the export of Central Highlands agricultural products such as coffee, pepper, and industrial wood to Quy Nhon seaport at more competitive costs; while also attracting investment in processing industries, logistics, tourism, and high-tech agriculture.
Currently, components 1 and 3 of the project have commenced construction since the end of 2025, while component 2 is being expedited. The entire route affects more than 4,600 households with an area of over 1,097 hectares to be acquired. Gia Lai province is accelerating land clearance, striving to complete the project by the end of 2028, one year ahead of the national schedule.
Forming a strategic East-West axis.
Besides the North-South expressways, the Phan Thiet - Bao Loc - Gia Nghia expressway project is considered a strategic "piece" in the East-West direction.
According to the proposal, the expressway will be approximately 144 km long, connecting the eastern North-South Expressway in Binh Thuan with the western North-South Expressway in Gia Nghia. The project is expected to include 7 tunnels through mountains and 9 interchanges with a total investment of approximately 73,400 billion VND.
This route will create a "gateway to the sea" for the southern Central Highlands region, helping to shorten transportation time from Gia Nghia and Bao Loc to seaports to about 1.5 - 2 hours instead of 4 - 5 hours as it is currently.
Beyond its logistics role, the expressway also opens up a "golden tourism triangle" connecting Gia Nghia - Da Lat - Phan Thiet, creating momentum for the development of ecotourism, resort tourism, and regional linkages in the future.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/cao-toc-mo-khong-gian-phat-trien-nam-trung-bo-185260616151057015.htm
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