Latest News on the Pleiku – Quy Nhơn Expressway Investment
The Gia Lai Provincial Department of Transport recently completed a comprehensive report and drafted a document seeking input from the Binh Dinh Province on the investment plan for the Quy Nhơn – Pleiku expressway. This project will follow the public-private partnership method, as directed by the Prime Minister, with Gia Lai taking the lead in reviewing the research results in collaboration with the Binh Dinh provincial government. The proposed expressway will consist of four complete lanes, with a 24.75m wide road base and continuous emergency stopping lanes.
To reduce the overall investment cost, the department suggests eliminating the emergency stopping lanes on bridges and redefining the end point of the expressway in Pleiku, where it intersects with National Highway 14, thereby shortening the route by 8.1km. This section will be included in the Pleiku – Le Thanh expressway project, which is planned for implementation after 2030. Under this plan, the total length of the expressway will be reduced to 143.2km, with 57.6km passing through Binh Dinh and 85.6km through Gia Lai. The estimated investment for the project is around 37.6 trillion VND, a reduction of 6.5 trillion VND compared to the previous plan.
Presently, Gia Lai is seeking input from Binh Dinh and preparing to collaborate with relevant agencies to complete the necessary documentation for the subsequent steps of the project.
During a meeting with the government task force in March 2024, the leaders of Gia Lai province requested the support of the central government and related ministries to expedite the implementation of the Quy Nhơn – Pleiku expressway project. The Chairman of Gia Lai People’s Committee stated that the expressway will stimulate development and attract investment to the Central Highlands region. It will not only benefit Gia Lai but also bring positive impacts to the North Central Coast and the Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia triangle.
According to the Binh Dinh province’s People’s Committee, the Quy Nhơn – Pleiku expressway will drive economic and social development in the region and contribute significantly to regional connectivity. Currently, Quy Nhơn and Pleiku are mainly connected via National Highway 19, which has several deteriorated sections and faces heavy traffic congestion.
Therefore, if approved, the Quy Nhơn – Pleiku expressway project will play a crucial role in the socioeconomic development, not only for the provinces it passes through but also for the Central Highlands and the Central Coast regions. If investment is granted, the Quy Nhơn – Pleiku expressway will be the second expressway linking the Central Highlands with the coastal provinces of Central Vietnam. Currently, the only expressway connecting these two regions is the Khánh Hòa – Buôn Ma Thuột expressway, which commenced construction in June 2023 and is expected to be completed by 2025.