The Da Nang-Quang Ngai expressway, the first one in the central region, has opened to traffic after five years of construction.
Taking the new expressway will cut travel time from Da Nang to Quang Ngai by two hours to just over an hour. On Highway 1A, it takes three hours or more to travel between the two destinations..
The 139 km long expressway, costing VND34 trillion ($1.51 billion), connects Da Nang City with Tam Ky Town in Quang Nam Province before proceeding to neighboring Quang Ngai Province.
The first phase of the expressway, from Da Nang to Tam Ky, opened a year ago. The second phase, a 74 km stretch connecting Tam Ky and Quang Ngai, opened to traffic on the National Day September 2.
There are eight toll stations located at the intersection of Tan Loan, Phong Thuy, Ha Nam, Tam Ky, Chu Lai, Dung Quat and Quang Ngai.
As of now, the two traffic points of Chu Lai and Dung Quat and 50 km of barriers have not been completed. According to the investors, these tasks would be completed by the end of October.
The 139 km long expressway cost about $1.51 billion. Photo by VnExpress |
The four-lane, 24m-wide expressway is expected to allow a maximum speed of 120 km per hour when it is completed in full. The current maximum is 100 km per hour.
On September 1, the Ha Long-Hai Phong Expressway in the north also opened to traffic after three years of construction. This expressway cut Hanoi - Ha Long travel time by half.