A section of National Highway 15D through Quang Tri.

The Vietnam Road Administration has just submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Transport to consider and approve the investment policy for the project to renovate and upgrade National Highway 15D from the western branch of Ho Chi Minh Road to La Lay International Border Gate, Quang Tri Province and propose it to the medium-term public investment plan for the period 2026-2030, as a basis for implementing the next steps.

According to the proposal, the Project has the starting point at Km80+00 – Km92+085, National Highway 15D (from Ho Chi Minh Road, West branch, ending point at La Lay border gate, divided into 3 sections.

Section 1 (Km80+00 - Km86+040), in which the first intersection with the Ho Chi Minh Highway, the West branch, has been basically completed. The route has been renovated and upgraded to the scale of a grade IV mountainous road with a tolerance for the radius of the horizontal curve (roadbed width 7.5m, road surface width 5.5m) and the road surface structure is asphalt concrete. On the route, there are many small-radius curves with limited visibility, making it difficult for heavy and long trucks to pass.

Section 2 (Km86+040 - Km91+380) currently has a basic surface that meets the standards of a grade V mountain road, with tolerances for horizontal curve radius and longitudinal slope. The section has many small horizontal curve radiuses (some individual bends have a radius of only 15m - 20m), continuous curves that do not ensure connections; large longitudinal slope. Heavy and long trucks have difficulty passing through this section and in many locations only one truck can pass, other trucks have to wait, causing congestion. The large longitudinal slope is also a huge obstacle for heavy trucks.

Section 2 (Km91+380 - Km92+085) is currently under construction according to the planning of La Lay border gate.

There are 2 combined spillways and 4 bridges on the route. The existing bridge is narrow, 6.7-7m wide, was built a long time ago, and is now severely damaged and cannot handle the load of heavy vehicles passing through.

The Vietnam Road Administration proposed upgrading the above-mentioned route to ensure the scale of a grade III mountainous road, with a design speed of 60km/h; roadbed width of 9m, road surface width of 6m, reinforced shoulder width of 2m, and dirt shoulder width of 1m. The bridge width is equal to the roadbed width of 9m.

With the above investment scale, the Project has a total investment of 1,458 billion VND, of which construction cost is 1,088 billion VND; site clearance and resettlement cost is 42 billion VND.

The expected source of capital for the Project is the State budget, Government bond capital and other capital sources of the Ministry of Transport in the medium-term public investment plan for the period 2026-2030. The project implementation period is from 2026 to 2028.

The route is located on National Highway 15D, part of the N3 horizontal axis connecting the vertical axes: National Highway 1, Ho Chi Minh Road East Branch, Ho Chi Minh Road West Branch. The hub connects to the traffic system of Southern Laos and Northeastern Thailand through La Lay border gate.

The route is one of the key traffic routes from East to West of Quang Tri province, playing a great role in socio-economic development, ensuring security and defense of the province and the North Central region. In addition, National Highway 15D is part of the Quang Tri (Vietnam) - Salavan (Laos) - Ubon Ratchathani (Thailand) Economic Corridor.

With the importance of the route as above, the current status of the route has seriously degraded, with many small curve radii, large longitudinal slopes, narrow roadbed width, unable to meet the demand for transporting goods through the route, especially on the route mainly used by heavy trucks, posing a high risk of traffic safety.

The upgraded route is a necessary condition for the development of La Lay international border gate, increasing the attraction of vehicles passing through the gate.

“Therefore, the investment in the project to renovate and upgrade National Highway 15D from the West branch of Ho Chi Minh Road to La Lay International Border Gate, Quang Tri Province is extremely necessary and urgent,” said the Vietnam Road Administration.