Cam Lam – Vinh Hao runs 78.5 km through the central provinces of Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan.
Costing almost VND9 trillion (US$368 million) and implemented by Deo Ca Group and 194 Construction Investment Corporation under a public–private partnership, the project will complete the expressway system between HCMC and Nha Trang.
Deo Ca Group oversees building 41 km of the expressway and the rest is covered by 194 Construction.
The expressway runs through Vung mountain range that stretches 2.2 km long in Thuan Nam District of Ninh Thuan.
Workers finished digging a tunnel from opposite ends through the mountain to build the Cam Lam – Vinh Hao Expressway in August.
Costing VND1.6 trillion (US$67.9 million), the tunnel is the longest of all six tunnels running along the North-South Expressway, which comprises Cam Lam – Vinh Hao Expressway.
Construction inside the tunnel.
The tunnel's first phase will be 14 m wide with two lanes for vehicles to move at the maximum speed of 80 kph.
A worker installs the lighting system inside the tunnel.
Engineer Vo Khac Khoi, who is in charge of building the tunnel, said hundreds of workers at the site are boosting the work progress both day and night.
The intersection between Cam Lam – Vinh Hao Expressway and National Highway 27 in Ninh Son District of Ninh Thuan Province.
Vu Van Tu, deputy head of the project's management board responsible for the section built by Deo Ca Group, said the section is now completed by 99% while the Vung Mountain tunnel is 88% complete.
As per an agreement with the Ministry of Transport, Deo Ca must finish the work by April 30 next year.
The expressway in Thuan Bac District of Ninh Thuan Province is now getting lane markings, median strips and auxiliary items.
A group of workers brave the rain to install guardrails along the highway section through Thuan Bac District.
As scheduled, the expressway will be ready for a trial run on Dec. 30.
Building the section running over a hill in Cam Lam District in Khanh Hoa Province is one of the most difficult tasks for the expressway.
There are five expressways between HCMC and Nha Trang: HCMC – Long Thanh – Dau Giay, Dau Giay – Phan Thiet, Vinh Hao – Phan Thiet, Cam Lam – Vinh Hao, and Nha Trang – Cam Lam.
Once they are all put into use, the time to travel from HCMC to Nha Trang by road is expected to be shortened significantly to four hours from the current seven hours.
