A road section connects Đà Nẵng and Hội An cities. Đà Nẵng City and Quảng Nam province plan to develop a mass transport system to link tourism traffic between Đà Nẵng and Hội An in the future. VNS Photo Công Thành

QUẢNG NAM — The central city of Đà Nẵng and Quảng Nam Province plan to begin a study on investment in a Light Rail Transit (LRT) and Mass Rapid Transport (MRT) system connecting the Heritage City of Hội An and Đà Nẵng to serve future traffic and tourism development requirements.

Director of Đà Nẵng City’s Transport Department, Bùi Hồng Trung said the two departments of Đà Nẵng and Quảng Nam will jointly implement the pre-feasibility study and preparation works on the key strategic traffic project.

The two sides will also focus on planning a mass transport traffic system linking Chu Lai Airport and Đà Nẵng International Airport as well as an express network from Đà Nẵng to Thạnh Mỹ Town (Quảng Nam Province) and Bờ Y border check-point in the central highlands Kon Tum province.

It’s expected that the LRT/MRT project and mass transport infrastructure works would need an investment from VNĐ7.49 trillion (US$299.6 million) to VNĐ14.9 trillion ($596 million).

The two localities plan to complete feasibility study on the project in 2024 for construction in 2025-30.

Đà Nẵng had called for investment from Singapore in building a 33km tram line connecting the city and Hội An as a key part of the city’s 2030 Master Plan.

The city had called for investment from South Korea in a survey for construction of an inner city railway network including two metros and eight tramways connecting Đà Nẵng airport, shopping centres, beaches, resorts, the Hàn River banks and destinations.

In the past years, the two localities agreed to dredge a 28km section of the Cổ Cò River to boost commercial water traffic between Hội An and Đà Nẵng including inner waterway services as alternatives to exploring Đà Nẵng and Hội An by car or motorbike.

Roads between Đà Nẵng and Quảng Nam Province’s Hội An ancient town have been overloaded with about 10,000 vehicles travelling from Đà Nẵng to the town each day in the tourism booming time, while infrastructure between the two locals remains limited. Congestion often occurs in the afternoon when coaches carrying tourists from Đà Nẵng to Hội An in the afternoon and evening. — VNS