HCMC – The Quang Ngai–Hoai Nhon Expressway was officially opened to traffic at 11 a.m. today, February 12, with toll collection yet to begin in the initial phase.
Project Management Unit 2 under the Ministry of Construction said the entire route has been put into operation to meet rising travel demand, particularly during the Lunar New Year holiday.
Before opening, the main section from Km1050+00, which connects with the Danang–Quang Ngai Expressway at Km127+720, to Km1138+00, linking to the Hoai Nhon–Quy Nhon project, was approved for acceptance by the State inspection council. The Department For Roads Of Vietnam also issued a decision approving the traffic organization plan.
The expressway is designed to meet 120-km/h standards in its final phase. In the current stage, it has four lanes with a 17-meter roadbed width and a design speed of 80 km/h.
Maximum speeds on the main route are set at 90 km/h for cars, trucks under 3.5 tons and coaches with up to 29 seats, and 80 km/h for sleeper buses and other vehicles. The minimum speed is 60 km/h. At interchanges, the maximum speed is 50 km/h, in line with posted signs.
No tolls will be collected for now. A temporary station at Km1050+600 is in place to support the closed toll system of the Danang–Quang Ngai Expressway.
Under the approved traffic plan, north–south traffic will use the two right lanes of the main route, passing interchanges at Km1051+594, Provincial Road 624B, National Highway 24, Sa Huynh and Hoai Nhon before connecting to the Hoai Nhon–Quy Nhon Expressway.
Vehicles traveling south–north will pass Hoai Nhon interchange, connecting to National Highway 1A, then Sa Huynh, National Highway 24, Provincial Road 624B and Nghia Giang before merging into the Danang–Quang Ngai Expressway.
Contractors will continue completing remaining components, including rest areas, intelligent transport systems, electronic toll collection and local access roads.
Authorities have called on traffic police and local governments in Quang Ngai and Gia Lai provinces to coordinate on traffic safety, fire prevention and incident response during operation.
The 88-kilometer Quang Ngai–Hoai Nhon Expressway is part of the eastern North–South Expressway network for the 2021–2025 period. The route runs 60.3 kilometers through Quang Ngai Province and 27.7 kilometers through Gia Lai Province, with total investment exceeding VND20 trillion. Construction began on January 1, 2023, with Project Management Unit 2 as investor and a consortium led by Deo Ca Group as the main contractor.
The project includes 77 bridges, 586 culverts and 81 underpasses. It also features three mountain tunnels with a combined length of more than 4.5 kilometers. Tunnel No. 3, at 3.2 kilometers, is set to become the longest tunnel on the North–South Expressway and the third longest road tunnel in Vietnam after Hai Van and Deo Ca.
