HCMC – The People’s Committee of Gia Lai Province has proposed rerouting the Quy Nhon–Pleiku Expressway through An Khe Pass to avoid overlapping with National Highway 19 and cut construction costs by nearly VND1.1 trillion.
The new route would be one kilometer longer and require an extra 10 hectares of land. It would reduce the number of tunnels from two to one, shorten a bridge, and lower gradients, the Vietnam News Agency reported.
The 125-km expressway, with an estimated cost of more than VND43.7 trillion, will run through the new Gia Lai Province (a combination of former Binh Dinh and Gia Lai provinces). Construction is planned to start between October and December 2025.
Mountainous terrain in the An Khe and Mang Yang sections limits speeds to below 80 kph, compared with the designed 100 kph, prompting calls for adjustments.
The project will require over 1,027 hectares of land, including more than 320 hectares of forest to be converted. Nearly 550 households will be affected, and thousands of graves relocated. Eight resettlement sites have been planned.
Land clearance is set to begin in the third quarter of 2025. Gia Lai has committed more than VND1.25 trillion from its budget for compensation and resettlement.
The province has asked the Government to approve the project in August and allow provincial management boards to oversee it, aiming to speed up preparation, design review and bidding.
When complete, the expressway is expected to connect the south-central coast with the Central Highlands, reduce pressure on National Highway 19, and improve transport along the east–west economic corridor.
