Authorities in Khanh Hoa and Lam Dong Provinces, located in Vietnam’s south-central and Central Highlands regions, respectively, have sought to develop a 103km-long expressway linking the two localities in the 2025-28 period, said a local official.

The administration of Khanh Hoa recently told relevant agencies to work with a consulting unit on a proposal to develop the Nha Trang - Lien Khuong Expressway project, Nguyen Tan Tuan, chairman of the Khanh Hoa People’s Committee, said on Thursday.

According to the proposal, the route would start from an intersection with the Nha Trang - Cam Lam Expressway in Khanh Hoa to the end of the Lien Khuong - Prenn Expressway in Lam Dong, with some 48km of the route in Khanh Hoa and the rest in Lam Dong.

The projected end of the Nha Trang - Lien Khuong Expressway project, which will link Khanh Hoa Province in south-central Vietnam with Lam Dong Province in the country’s Central Highlands region. Photo: Tran Huong / Tuoi Tre

Around 1,000 hectares of land are needed to develop the project, thus leaving 116 households affected and prompting 100 of them to relocate.

Vehicles are expected to travel on this four-lane route at the maximum speed of 100km per hour.

The project would require nearly VND27.5 trillion (US$1.1 billion) in the first phase, under the public-private partnership and build-operate-transfer contract.

In the second phase, its price tag is set to be around VND36.2 trillion ($1.4 billion).

The consulting unit was told to suggest more optimal measures, including applying tunnel-boring technology, to minimize negative impact on forest areas when developing the expressway, Tuan said.

Once completed, the Nha Trang - Lien Khuong Expressway is expected to boost economic growth of the three provinces of Lam Dong, Khanh Hoa, and Ninh Thuan.

The route will also help drivers avoid a risk of accidents caused by possible landslides at Khanh Le Pass on National Highway 27C, which connects Lam Dong’s Da Lat City with neighboring Khanh Hoa’s Nha Trang City, the local official added.

As for tourism businesses, they hoped that the expressway will help shorten the distance between Da Lat and Nha Trang, two popular tourist destinations.

The Nha Trang - Lien Khuong Expressway would enable tourists to take one-day tours to Ho Chi Minh City, Da Lat, and Nha Trang, said the director of a travel company.

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