The Deputy Prime Minister: Investing in the Nha Trang – Da Lat Expressway Must Be a Top Priority

In the afternoon of September 4th, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha and a delegation from the central government held a working session in Lam Dong province to address challenges related to the Tan Phu – Bao Loc and Bao Loc – Lien Khuong expressway projects.

According to Mr. Tran Hoa Nam, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Khanh Hoa province, the two provinces of Khanh Hoa and Lam Dong are highly determined to invest in the Nha Trang – Da Lat expressway project to enhance regional connectivity and promote socio-economic development in the two localities, as well as in the South-Central Coast and Central Highlands regions.

Therefore, the People’s Committee of Khanh Hoa province proposed to the National Assembly and the Government to allow the investment in the construction of the project before 2030, approve the state support of 70% of the state budget capital for the project, and authorize the People’s Committee of Khanh Hoa province as the state authority to call for investment in the project through the public-private partnership format.

Mr. Nguyen Viet Hai, Chairman of Son Hai Group, who participated in the working session, shared that the Nha Trang – Da Lat expressway has a complex terrain and will impact forests, requiring substantial investment. However, with the current route, the project research unit has minimized the impact on forests.

The representative of the group proposed that the Government allow the use of elevated bridges, retaining walls, large-span segmental bridges, and tunnel extensions to reduce the area of affected forests. With these measures, the project could reduce the impacted forest area by 30%, equivalent to 125 hectares.

Concluding the working session, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha affirmed the importance of the Nha Trang – Da Lat expressway project and the need for early investment. He emphasized that with proper investment, the project will boost the economic development of the localities and the region.

The Deputy Prime Minister instructed the project research units of the two provinces to carefully calculate the technical options to determine the official investment cost of the project.

He assigned the Ministry of Transport to take the lead in studying suitable routes, applying advanced technology and equipment in construction to overcome the terrain differences, ensuring aesthetics, technical safety, harmony with nature, and minimizing forest impact.

The research unit and the localities were requested to carefully calculate the investment efficiency of the project and the capital mobilization plan to attract investment. Specific contents will be discussed by each ministry and sector with the localities to implement the investment preparation phase of the project excellently and soon submit it to the Prime Minister for approval.

The Nha Trang – Da Lat expressway is proposed to be constructed with a length of nearly 81 kilometers and a total investment of over VND 25,000 billion. The project is expected to boost socio-economic development, form regional linkages, and contribute to Khanh Hoa’s goal of becoming a centrally-run city by 2030.