After 5 years of construction, the Da Nang-Quang Ngai Expressway project is scheduled to be opened to traffic late this month.

The Da Nang-Quang Ngai Expressway project is scheduled to be opened to traffic late this month

The deployment of this large-scale project, the first of its kind in the central region, is part of the country’s expressway network development plans by 2020, with a vision towards 2030.
Work started on the 139.52km, 6-lane route in May 2013 at a total estimated cost of over 1.6 billion USD.

Of this, 798.5 million USD in loans is offered by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), whilst 590.3 million USD is lent by the World Bank (WB), and the remainder come from the national budget.

The Viet Nam Expressway Corporation (VEC) is the project’s developer, whilst the Civil Engineering Construction Corporation No 1 (CIENCO 1) and the Civil Engineering Construction Corporation No 5 (CIENCO 5) are the main contractors.

The expressway runs through Da Nang, and Quang Nam and Quang Ngai provinces.

In Da Nang, the road passes through the communes of Hoa Phong, Hoa Tien and Hoa Nhon in Hoa Vang District.

In detail, the route starts from the intersection of 14B Highway and a bypass on the southern side of the Hai Van Tunnel, which is in Tuy Loan Village, Da Nang’s Hoa Vang District, and it ends in Nghia Ky Commune, Tu Nghia District, Quang Ngai Province.

The whole route consists of a 131.5 km expressway and an 8.02km road linking the expressway to 1A National Highway.

It incorporates 4 intersections, a tunnel under the Eo Mountain, and 59 bridges with a total length of over 7,000m.

There are also be a traffic control centre, a centre for traffic operations and road maintenance services, rest stops, toll booths and an Intelligent Transport System (ITS), sewage outfalls, rainwater drainage systems, and other auxiliary facilities.

Once operational, this whole route will form part of Viet Nam’s north-south expressway. It will play an important role in accelerating the development of the central region’s economic hub, as well as strengthening the links between Da Nang and the provinces of Quang Nam and Quang Ngai.

In addition, thanks to the soon-to-be-opened route, the socio-economic development of the 3 localities will be boosted, their security and defence will be ensured, and the living conditions of their local residents will be enhanced.

Of note, the project will also enhance international transport links between Laos, Cambodia, and Viet Nam, through the East-West Corridor, to a number of seaports in Central Viet Nam.

As part of the expressway project, the 65km-long section between Da Nang’s Tuy Loan Village and Quang Nam Province’s Tam Ky City was opened to traffic in August 2017, and it has proved highly effective. 

Meanwhile, the remaining section which links Tam Ky City with Quang Ngai Province now nearing completion.

Currently, VEC is collecting road tolls from the drivers of 4-wheeled vehicles running on the Da Nang-Tam Ky section.

The minimum fee is 20,000 VND for under 12-seater vehicles, under 2-ton trucks, and public buses, whilst the maximum fee is 380,000 VND for over 18-ton and 40-foot-long container trucks.