National Highway 14 (Hồ Chí Minh Road) is a vital North–South trade route passing through Kon Tum Province. — VNA/VNS Photo Dư Toán

HÀ NỘI — Construction is underway on a series of key transportation projects connecting the Central Highlands with the south-central coastal region.

Once operational, these projects are expected to open up strong connectivity opportunities between mountainous and coastal localities, creating new momentum for local development.

In the northern Central Highlands region, two expressway projects are projected to drive regional growth. They include the Quy Nhơn – Pleiku Expressway, connecting Bình Định and Gia Lai provinces and the Quảng Ngãi – Kon Tum Expressway, which links Quảng Ngãi and Kon Tum provinces. Once completed, they will shorten travel distances and open major routes from the mountains to the sea.

Given the importance of the Quy Nhơn – Pleiku Expressway project, Gia Lai has proactively prepared funding and materials for implementation. Specifically, the provincial People’s Council has issued a resolution allocating VNĐ500 billion (US$19.3 million) from the local budget for the project.

In addition, the provincial People’s Committee has instructed localities to identify potential areas to find common construction materials, such as stone and sand, to update district-level land use planning. This serves as a basis for auctioning and granting mineral exploitation licences to ensure a timely supply of construction materials.

The Quảng Ngãi – Kon Tum Expressway project is also being actively pushed toward completion.

According to proposals from the People's Committees of the two provinces, the 136km expressway will have four lanes and require an investment of over VNĐ35.3 trillion. Both committees propose implementing the project under a public investment model, with the execution period set for 2025-2028. They have committed to fully allocating local budget resources for site clearance to hand over clean land by 2026.

The Ministry of Construction issued a decision to assign Project Management Unit 85 to prepare a pre-feasibility study report for the expressway project.

Director of Kon Tum Province's Department of Construction Phan Mười said that as this project was of great significance for local economic development, Kon Tum was determined to invest in and complete the project as soon as possible.

To promote the project's early construction, the department had proactively invited Project Management Unit 85 to conduct a field survey. The provincial People's Committee had also established an inter-sectoral working group to coordinate the preparation of the project's pre-feasibility study report.

More trade opportunities

In Đắk Lắk, two important transportation projects are being invested in and promoted for investment to connect the locality with Khánh Hòa and Phú Yên provinces, namely the Khánh Hòa – Buôn Ma Thuột Expressway and National Highway 29.

Workers constructing the Khánh Hòa – Buôn Ma Thuột Expressway. — VNA/VNS Photo Tuấn Anh

The Khánh Hòa – Buôn Ma Thuột Expressway, whose construction began in June 2024, is approximately 117km long, with a total investment of over VNĐ21.9 trillion. It is expected to be operational by 2027.

Meanwhile, National Highway 29, which connects Đắk Lắk with Phú Yên, is currently in very poor condition, significantly affecting traffic flow between the two provinces. To facilitate smoother connectivity, the People's Committees of the two provinces have held meetings and submitted a plan to upgrade the highway to the Prime Minister.

This plan includes an agreement to invest in expanding the road to four lanes with a roadbed width of 20.5 metres and a design speed of 60-80 km/h.

According to a leader of the Đắk Lắk provincial People's Committee, after being upgraded and expanded, National Highway 29 will provide a smooth connection between Phú Yên and Đắk Lắk, as well as other major transport corridors, providing links to seaports, airports and border gates.

Similarly, Lâm Đồng and Khánh Hòa provinces have agreed to propose to the Prime Minister a plan to invest in the Nha Trang – Đà Lạt Expressway project before 2030. The expressway will be approximately 81km long, with four lanes and a design speed of 80-100km/h. It will have a total investment of around VNĐ25 trillion.

Currently, Nha Trang and Đà Lạt are connected by National Highway 27C, which frequently experiences landslides and takes an extended amount of time to travel. — VNS