HCMC – The Ministry of Transport has been tasked with fleshing out a plan to construct eight expressways with a combined length of 830 kilometers in the Central Highlands by 2030, said Minister Nguyen Van Thang.
The prime minister has asked the ministry to build four expressways in the region prior to 2025, totaling 295 kilometers, he added.
The ministry has already set timelines to complete several key expressway projects as outlined in the plan, with a total cost of VND151,900 billion. These expressways include Khanh Hoa-Buon Ma Thuot, Gia Nghia-Chon Thanh, Tan Phu-Bao Loc, Bao Loc-Lien Khuong, Quy Nhon-Pleiku, and a road connecting Kon Tum and Quang Nam provinces.
His statement was made during a conference held on September 20 in Dalat City by the Central Highlands Region Coordination Council. The event was chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang.
According to Tran Van Hiep, chairman of the Lam Dong People’s Committee, construction of the Tan Phu-Bao Loc expressway project will begin this year. Additionally, work on the Bao Loc-Lien Khuong section is expected to begin next year.
The Central Highlands region has seen significant economic growth, with its gross regional domestic product (GRDP) per capita in 2022 being 11 times higher than it was in 2002, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment. Between 2002 and 2020, the region posted an average annual GRDP growth rate of almost 8%.
However, the Central Highlands provinces—Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Daklak, Dak Nong and Lam Dong—still faces difficulties in terms of socioeconomic development, especially insufficient infrastructure that has impeded the attraction of foreign direct investment.
Established in mid-July, the coordination council aims to cope with the Central Highlands region’s challenges by bringing together key stakeholders and promoting coordination among relevant agencies.
