Opening two new intersections on Da Nang - Quang Ngai highway

The North-South Expressway has been invested and is passing through Quang Ngai province, about 90km long. According to the plan, along the route there are 7 intersections connecting with national and provincial highways, the distance between intersections is about 20-30km.

The Da Nang - Quang Ngai expressway passing through this province has three intersections: Tri Binh intersection, Bac Quang Ngai intersection and Nam Quang Ngai intersection.

Up to now, the two North and South intersections of Quang Ngai City have been put into stable operation. In particular, the Tri Binh intersection is under construction, causing serious impacts on traffic activities connecting Dung Quat Economic Zone with the expressway as vehicles have to take a detour of dozens of kilometers to get on and off the expressway.

Although the distance between Tri Binh intersection and Bac Quang Ngai intersection is quite convenient, Quang Ngai province recently sent an official dispatch to the Ministry of Transport regarding the review of connections and investment in expressways passing through the province.

Specifically, this province proposed to add Tinh Tho intersection at Km 120+950.

According to the People's Committee of Quang Ngai province, the proposal to add this intersection is in accordance with the overall adjustment project of the Dung Quat Economic Zone Construction Master Plan until 2045 approved by the Prime Minister in 2023.

This invested intersection will connect Tinh Phong - Binh Chau route connecting the service and tourism center of Dong Nam Dung Quat Urban Area and Tinh Phong Urban Area.

Therefore, it is appropriate to consider adding and implementing in the coming time to promote socio-economic development, circulation of goods, especially connecting with the expanding VSIP industrial service urban area.

According to the reporter's records, Tinh Tho intersection is located about 3km from Bac Quang Ngai intersection. Located about 3km from VSIP industrial urban area. The current status of the area is rural and the main traffic is rural.

Quang Ngai province also proposed to add Binh Long intersection at the intersection with National Highway 24C to create a basis for future investment when the CT22 Expressway (Quang Ngai - Quang Nam) is built, avoiding the case where the intersection is not in the planning, leading to difficulties in implementation.

In addition to adding the intersection, Quang Ngai province also proposed that the Ministry of Transport continue to direct the Vietnam Expressway Corporation to urgently carry out procedures to complete the construction of the Tri Binh intersection at Km 101+740, in Binh Son district in 2025.

According to Director of Quang Ngai Department of Transport Nguyen Phong, the addition to the planning and investment of Binh Long and Tinh Tho intersections will ensure convenient trade and travel connections, especially the transit of goods from the southern area of ​​Dung Quat Economic Zone to the highway.

"The Tri Binh intersection in particular needs to be completed soon to put into operation. For many years, this project has been unfinished and has not brought about investment efficiency. Meanwhile, the province has completed the Tri Binh - Dung Quat road but it has not been able to connect to the expressway," said Mr. Phong.

Trillions needed to upgrade many sections of national highways and provincial roads connecting to expressways

Not only proposing to add many intersections with existing expressways to the planning, Quang Ngai province also proposed to invest in upgrading and expanding many national highways and provincial roads with intersections with the North-South expressway to ensure convenient trade of goods.

Accordingly, Quang Ngai province proposed to invest in upgrading and expanding two routes: National Highway 24B, 24C and Provincial Road 624B. In particular, the province prioritizes allocating investment capital to upgrade and expand National Highway 24B, section Km23 - Km 29+800.

According to the Quang Ngai Department of Transport, the approximately 6km long section on National Highway 24B has a very narrow cross-section of only 6m, and some sections are narrower, while the volume of vehicles participating in traffic is large, especially trucks and container trucks from National Highway 1 to the highway and vice versa, causing traffic jams and even traffic accidents at times.

It is known that the project to upgrade and expand National Highway 24B, section Km 23+050 - Km 29+800, was approved by the Ministry of Transport in Decision No. 1645, 2023, with a total investment of nearly 600 billion VND from the central budget. Quang Ngai Department of Transport was assigned as the investor. Implementation period is from 2023 - 2025.

However, currently the capital source to implement the project has not been arranged, so the investment implementation still has to wait.

Particularly, National Highway 24C, the section from Da Nang - Quang Ngai Expressway to National Highway 1, is also in need of upgrading and expansion because of the current degraded roadbed and narrow cross-section.

In addition, Quang Ngai province also proposed to allocate about 200 billion VND to invest in upgrading and expanding about 5km of provincial road 624B from National Highway 1 to Quang Ngai - Hoai Nhon expressway at Hanh Thinh intersection. Specifically, upgrading the roadbed to 9m and the road surface to 7m to create uniformity.

According to the records of provincial road 624B, the first section of the route was upgraded and expanded by Quang Ngai province to a fairly standard 9m wide, but the remaining section from Hanh Thinh commune to the intersection is quite narrow, with a cross-section of only 6m, not ensuring the flow of vehicles from the expressway down and vice versa when the Quang Ngai - Hoai Nhon expressway is put into operation in 2025.

Director of Quang Ngai Department of Transport Nguyen Phong said that investing in upgrading provincial and national roads connecting to the North-South Expressway is very necessary to create infrastructure synchronization, minimize traffic disorder, increase the circulation of goods... Thereby, creating a great driving force in the socio-economic development of the province.