After much anticipation, the first highways connecting to the Central Highlands have been started, opening the door to promising development for this red land.
Central Highlands Expressway: Paving the way to a new era
After much anticipation, the first highways connecting to the Central Highlands have been started, opening the door to promising development for this red land.
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| National Highway 19 is known as the eastern gate of the Central Highlands. |
Dream of the highway
The Central Highlands region has a particularly important role and position in terms of economy, politics , culture, society, environment, national defense, security and foreign affairs of the whole country. Therefore, in the strategic vision, the Central Government always allocates many resources for investment and development to the Central Highlands. In particular, the key task is to complete the transport infrastructure, connecting the Central Highlands with other regions, because transport is the main bottleneck, hindering the development of the red land in the past decades.
Traffic congestion will soon be eliminated when the highways are being invested in and built. First of all, the Khanh Hoa - Buon Ma Thuot highway - the highway connecting the Central Highlands with the Central Coast. This project is being urgently accelerated by Dak Lak and Khanh Hoa provinces. The project has a total investment of 21,935 billion VND, the progress requires the basic completion of some sections with high traffic volume by 2026 and synchronous operation in 2027. Therefore, the construction units are urgently deploying and "celebrating Tet" at the construction site.
Mr. Tran Ba Duong also expressed his ambition to build a value chain for the production and export of fresh fruits and agricultural products in this area, in addition to the invested projects in Laos and Cambodia.
A representative of Deo Ca Group, the contractor of Package XL01 of the Khanh Hoa - Buon Ma Thuot Expressway Project, said that the joint venture has mobilized nearly 450 personnel, 200 pieces of equipment and machinery, and simultaneously deployed 14 construction teams. The 2024 production plan basically meets the set schedule, aiming to open the tunnel by the end of 2025.
“Currently, the construction is still facing many difficulties, especially at the Phoenix Tunnel, so we are focusing on speeding up the construction of service roads, building camps and other auxiliary items to always be ready for massive deployment when receiving enough land. With efforts to overcome difficulties, we hope that the Project will continue to complete important goals, ensuring progress and quality according to the plan”, said a representative of Deo Ca Group.
The leader of the Dak Lak Provincial People's Committee said that this expressway plays a particularly important role in strongly promoting the potentials and strengths of the two provinces of Dak Lak and Khanh Hoa and the whole region. As a strategic route "connecting forests with the sea", when put into operation, the expressway will create momentum for socio-economic development, associated with strengthening national defense and security of the two provinces and the South Central - Central Highlands region. Therefore, Dak Lak province is determined to concentrate all its efforts to soon complete and put this expressway into operation.
Another highly anticipated expressway project in the Central Highlands is the Chon Thanh - Gia Nghia Expressway. At the 7th Session, the 15th National Assembly passed a Resolution on the investment policy for the North - South Expressway Construction Investment Project in the West, Gia Nghia (Dak Nong) - Chon Thanh (Binh Phuoc) section. The project has a length of 128.8 km, a total investment of VND 25,540 billion, and is expected to be put into operation in 2027.
In addition to the expressways being implemented and being prepared for investment and construction, it is expected that in the coming time, there will be more expressways being invested and constructed in the Central Highlands. Recently, the Ministry of Transport (MOT) issued a Plan to implement the Project on Socio-Economic Development associated with Security and Defense in the Central Highlands.
According to this project, research is being done to prepare for investment in the Western North-South Expressway, with the investment process after 2030, including the Ngoc Hoi - Pleiku Expressway (90 km long, 6 lanes, total preliminary investment of about 18,900 billion VND), the Pleiku - Buon Ma Thuot Expressway (160 km long, 6 lanes, total investment of about 33,600 billion VND), and the Buon Ma Thuot - Gia Nghia route (105 km long, 6 lanes, total investment of 22,050 billion VND).
The Ministry of Transport also plans to complete upgrading the remaining 63 km of National Highway 24 (Kon Tum - Quang Ngai) with a total investment of VND2,500 billion by 2030.
Regarding railways, by 2030, the Ministry of Transport plans to complete investment preparations to restore and renovate the Thap Cham - Da Lat railway line and the railway connecting the Central Highlands (Da Nang - Kon Tum - Gia Lai - Dak Lak - Dak Nong - Binh Phuoc).
Regarding aviation, the Ministry of Transport plans to complete upgrading three airports by 2029, including Lien Khuong Airport, Pleiku Airport, Buon Ma Thuot Airport, and complete the planning of Mang Den Airport by 2025.
Breakout from the highway
For many years, to go to Ho Chi Minh City or other key cities in the South, Lam Dong people had to travel through winding and dangerous mountain passes. Trade connection activities were also extremely difficult. Therefore, the Tan Phu - Bao Loc and Bao Loc - Lien Khuong expressways are not only a traffic project, but also a symbol of Lam Dong's development.
Chairman of Lam Dong Provincial People's Committee Tran Hong Thai affirmed that currently, the difficulties of the two expressways Tan Phu - Bao Loc and Bao Loc - Lien Khuong have been directed by the Prime Minister to be considered and resolved by ministries and branches. It is expected that the Tan Phu - Bao Loc and Bao Loc - Lien Khuong expressway projects will start construction before April 30, 2025.
Similarly, Kon Tum is a locality facing many difficulties in transport infrastructure, so the province is looking forward to implementing expressways soon. The good news for Kon Tum province is that in early 2025, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha signed Decision No. 12/QD-TTg dated January 3, 2025 approving the adjustment of the Road Network Planning for the period 2021 - 2030, with a vision to 2050. In particular, the Quang Ngai - Kon Tum expressway was added.
Sharing this joy, Mr. Le Ngoc Tuan, Chairman of Kon Tum Provincial People's Committee, said that the province has mountainous terrain and only one type of transportation, which is road. Meanwhile, Kon Tum is located at the strategic position of Indochina intersection, the core area of the Vietnam - Laos - Cambodia development triangle, and at the same time, the province has an important geopolitical - economic position on the East - West corridor. Therefore, the invested highways will create a strong growth momentum for Kon Tum province in particular and the Central Highlands in general.
Another positive signal for the Central Highlands in general and Gia Lai in particular is the Quy Nhon - Pleiku expressway that the Ministry of Transport has just reported to the Government leaders about the investment plan.
Mr. Dinh Huu Hoa, Deputy Director of the Department of Planning and Investment of Gia Lai province, said that the Ministry of Transport has sent a dispatch to the Government proposing to invest in the construction of the Quy Nhon - Pleiku expressway under the form of public investment. This is considered a big step forward in the process of completing the province's transport system.
Accordingly, the Quy Nhon - Pleiku Expressway Project will be prepared for investment from 2025, implemented, completed and put into operation in the period 2026-2030. The project has a length of 123 km, with a total investment of about 36,594 billion VND.
The investment in the Quy Nhon - Pleiku expressway will improve connectivity, shorten transportation time and costs, ensure traffic safety, create a driving force for connection, spread, and promote cooperation in socio-economic development of the region, especially connecting the Central Highlands with deep-water seaports, while strengthening national defense and security in the region.
“This expressway also contributes to meeting the transportation needs on the East-West axis, is an important transportation corridor serving the socio-economic development goals, connecting the seaports of the Central Coast region with the border gates of the Central Highlands in particular and connecting the East Sea with the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle in general. In the planning of Gia Lai province for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, the Quy Nhon - Pleiku expressway will be one of the important economic development axes of the locality. Accordingly, the province orients the development of industrial parks, industrial clusters, and the formation of logistics warehouses along this route. Local authorities and people are looking forward to the investment in this expressway soon,” said Mr. Hoa.
Source: https://baodautu.vn/cao-toc-ket-noi-tay-nguyen-mo-duong-den-ky-nguyen-moi-d243533.html
![[Photo] Binh Trieu 1 Bridge has been completed, raised by 1.1m, and will open to traffic at the end of November.](https://vphoto.vietnam.vn/thumb/1200x675/vietnam/resource/IMAGE/2025/10/2/a6549e2a3b5848a1ba76a1ded6141fae)
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