Two sections of North-South Expressway, totally worth VND23,500 billion ($1.01 billion), are slated to begin construction at the end of this year in Phu Yen and Khanh Hoa provinces, central Vietnam.
Phu Yen and Khanh Hoa are driving forces of south-central Vietnam's economic growth. They are both Vietnam's top travel destinations.
The 48-kilometer Chi Thanh-Van Phong and 84-kilometer Van Phong-Nha Trang sections are two component projects of North-South Expressway in the period of 2021-2025, according to feasibility studies submitted to the Ministry of Transport.
The VND11,000 billion ($473 million) Chi Thanh-Van Phong section will start from Tuy An district’s Chi Thanh town (Phu Yen) to Hoa Xuan Dong commune, Dong Hoa town (Khanh Hoa).
The 17-meter-wide route will have four lanes in the first phase with a designed speed of 80 kph. A total 32 bridges will also be built, along with a tunnel, a system of linking roads, electricity system, and drain.
The Van Phong-Nha Trang expressway in Khanh Hoa province will start at Van Ninh district’s Van Tho commune and end at Dien Tho commune in Dien Khanh district to link with the Nha Trang-Cam Lam section, one of the subprojects of the North-South Expressway eastern section.
The VND12,500 billion ($537.56 million) section will initially have four lanes before expanding to six and allow vehicles to travel at 80-100 kph.
Both sections are scheduled to start construction in the fourth quarter of this year, and complete after three years, to enter operation from 2026.
The two projects, once complete, will help create an economic and traffic connection axis between the northern, central and southern key economic regions along the north-south transport corridor.