According to the Gia Lai Provincial People's Committee (PPC), the 27 km highway section through An Khe pass traverses complex terrain. The new proposed route increases the highway's length by about 1 km and requires an additional 10 ha of land.

However, it reduces the number of tunnels from two to one and shortens the length of bridges with special structures from 2,148 m to 552 m, while also lessening the average longitudinal slope. Overall, the new route reduces construction costs by about 1.084 trillion VND.

Therefore, the Gia Lai PPC has requested that the Steering Committee for National Key Projects, along with relevant ministries and central agencies, consider and approve this proposal.

An Khe pass on National Highway 19 connecting Binh Dinh and Gia Lai provinces. Photo: Tran Hoa

An Khe pass on National Highway 19 connecting Binh Dinh and Gia Lai provinces. Photo: Tran Hoa

The 125 km Quy Nhon - Pleiku highway passes through 17 communes and wards, with 40 km in Binh Dinh province and 85 km in Gia Lai province. The four-lane highway has a road surface width of 24.75 m and a maximum speed of 100 km/h.

However, the mountainous terrain through An Khe pass and Mang Yang pass reduces the practical operating speed to below 80 km/h. This is why the route adjustment is proposed to increase investment efficiency.

The project, with a total proposed public investment of over 43.73 trillion VND, is expected to begin construction in October of this year.

The project involves three components: the first requires acquiring over 233 ha of land and resettling 335 households; the second requires nearly 500 ha and affects 26 households; and the third involves nearly 300 ha, impacting 179 households.

Tran Hoa