HCMC – A rest area on the Vinh Hao–Phan Thiet Expressway at Km205+092 was opened on January 26, providing basic services for motorists on the route, reported the Vietnam News Agency.
The facility is located in Ham Thuan Bac Commune, Lam Dong Province, and is now operating to meet travel needs, including during the 2026 Lunar New Year holiday, according to Project Management Board 7 under the Ministry of Construction.
Main facilities now in service include restrooms, access roads connecting to the expressway, parking areas and service zones. A fuel station and an electric vehicle charging area have been built but are awaiting final approvals before opening.
The Vinh Hao–Phan Thiet Expressway has two planned rest areas, at Km205+092 in Ham Thuan Bac and at Km144+560 in Tuy Phong Commune. The Ham Thuan Bac rest area covers about 10 hectares and requires an investment of around VND390 billion.
Construction of the Tuy Phong rest area has not started due to delays in site clearance. Only 1.67 hectares of the planned 10.86 hectares have been handed over, equivalent to 15.39%, leaving more than nine hectares unavailable for construction.
Project authorities attributed the delays mainly to complaints and land-use disputes between residents and businesses, which have prevented full site handover.
The 100-kilometer Vinh Hao–Phan Thiet Expressway opened to traffic in May 2023 with a total investment of about VND11 trillion. The route helps shorten travel time between central Vietnam and HCMC and eases pressure on National Highway 1A.
The expressway is also piloting intelligent traffic management systems, including automatic weigh stations, electronic toll collection and traffic surveillance cameras, to improve safety and traffic control.
