On February 24, Project Management Board 7 – Ministry of Transport (MoT) announced that the localities have handed over 83.04 km/83.35 km of the main route (achieving 99.6%) to the Van Phong – Nha Trang Expressway project and completed 6 resettlement areas for 203 households. Currently, the overall progress of the project is 1.8% faster than the set plan, equivalent to 131.8 billion VND.
The Van Phong – Nha Trang Expressway project is scheduled to be completed in June 2025. Photo: L.H.
The investor and contractor units are striving to complete the project around June 2025, surpassing the initial plan by 6 months. The construction contractors have mobilized approximately 1,800 engineers, workers, and nearly 1,000 machinery and equipment to the construction site of the project.
However, according to Project Management Board 7, the project still faces two main obstacles which are the conversion of forest land and the relocation of power technical infrastructure. Currently, the demand for converting the purpose of the forest area for the Van Phong – Nha Trang Expressway project (which has not been granted the authority’s decision on changing the purpose of forest land) is 4.27 hectares.
The Van Phong – Nha Trang Expressway project is facing the issue of relocating power infrastructure. Photo: L.H.
On October 20, 2023, Khanh Hoa Provincial People’s Committee submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) regarding the decision on changing the purpose of forest land for the mentioned area. Regarding the relocation of technical infrastructure, the project has currently agreed on 164/164 locations; approved the intersection of 153 positions and completed the relocation of 58 positions. As for the 11 positions of 220kV power lines, 10 positions (belonging to Ninh Hoa town and Van Ninh district) have been approved for design.
To overcome these difficulties, the leaders of Khanh Hoa Provincial People’s Committee have requested the Ministry of Industry and Trade to direct the Electricity and Renewable Energy Department to assess the relocation of the 220kV power lines in Dien Khanh district to ensure the timeline for the next steps. At the same time, they have also directed the units of the Vietnam Electricity Group to coordinate with the local authorities to expedite the agreement on the design files for relocating high-voltage power lines to meet the construction progress of the project.
In addition, Khanh Hoa Provincial People’s Committee has also requested the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to promptly complete the report for the Government to report to the National Assembly on the results of implementing Resolution No. 273; submit to the National Assembly Standing Committee to adjust Resolution No. 273 as a basis for local implementation of forest land conversion, land clearance, and handover to the contractors for construction and completion of the road foundation.
A cross-intersection of the Van Phong – Nha Trang Expressway project passing through Ninh Hoa town.
On February 23, Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Duy Lam and the leaders of Khanh Hoa province conducted an inspection of the progress of the Van Phong – Nha Trang Expressway project. During the inspection, Deputy Minister Nguyen Duy Lam highly appreciated the efforts of the investor and contractor units in the process of implementation and construction; praised the efforts of Khanh Hoa Provincial People’s Committee and the localities that the project passes through in the land clearance and resettlement work. Mr. Lam suggested that the local authorities urgently coordinate with relevant ministries and agencies to resolve the obstacles related to forest land and power infrastructure for the Van Phong – Nha Trang Expressway project.
The Van Phong – Nha Trang Expressway project in Khanh Hoa province starts from the southern connection point of Co Ma tunnel (Van Ninh district) and ends at the Nha Trang – Cam Lam Expressway connection point (Dien Khanh district). The total length of the route is 83.35km, passing through the districts of Van Ninh, Dien Khanh, Khanh Vinh, and Ninh Hoa town. The project, in its completion phase, is a high-speed expressway with a design speed of 120 km/h, a road width of 32.25m, and a scale of 6 lanes.
