Hanoi (VNA) – Mega transport projects will be stepped up in the Central Highlands in the coming years to help promote local socioeconomic development.
The Ministry of Transport (MoT) recently issued a plan for implementing the masterplan on socioeconomic development associated with safeguarding security and defence in the Central Highlands.
Under the plan, priority will be given to developing roads and air routes, tackling transport bottlenecks, and boosting connectivity in the Central Highlands with the coastal central region and the southeastern region, thereby helping tap into local potential and advantages.
The MoT will coordinate with central agencies and localities in accelerating site clearance and ensuring the progress and quality of projects.
The ministry will assist provinces to conduct studies and investment for such expressways as Quy Nhon - Pleiku, Khanh Hoa - Buon Ma Thuot, Tan Phu - Bao Loc, Bao Loc - Lien Khuong, Gia Nghia - Chon Thanh, along with some sections of North - South Expressway’s western wing.
It will also work with localities to expand the airports of Lien Khuong (Lam Dong province), Pleiku (Gia Lai province) and Buon Ma Thuot (Dak Lak province). Upgrades are planned for the Thap Cham - Da Lat railway route and the one traversing the Central Highlands, from central Da Nang through the Central Highlands provinces of Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak and Dak Nong to southern Binh Phuoc province.
In addition, the MoT will step up the transport infrastructure projects connecting Vietnam with other countries in the Mekong sub-region, particularly within the framework of the Mekong sub-regional cooperation, the Cambodia - Laos - Vietnam Development Triangle Area, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), according to the plan.
The MoT plans to put the 118km Khanh Hoa - Buon Ma Thuot and 129km Gia Nghia - Chon Thanh expressways into use by 2027. The 67km Tan Phu - Bao Loc expressway is to be opened by 2028. Meanwhile, Quy Nhon - Pleiku Expressway, 180km long, will be open to traffic by 2030.
By 2030, the MoT is set to complete upgrading 63km of National Highway 24 (Kon Tum - Quang Ngai). Regarding aviation infrastructure, it will complete upgrading Lien Khuong, Pleiku and Buon Ma Thuot airports by 2029 and finalise the planning of Mang Den airport in Kon Tum province by 2025.
To carry out the plan, the MoT will coordinate with the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Ministry of Finance to prioritise resources for developing infrastructure in the Central Highlands. It will also enhance decentralisation so that localities can proactively maximise resources for transport infrastructure development./.
