Urgent repairs underway on pass connecting Nha Trang to Da Lat ahead of rainy season

Seriously damaged sections of Khanh Le Pass (national highway 27C), a vital link between Nha Trang and Da Lat, are undergoing rapid repairs, including the construction of retaining walls, rockfall nets, and road surface restoration, in anticipation of the peak rainy season.

Near the foot of Khanh Le Pass in Nam Khanh Vinh commune, where a negative slope landslide occurred, contractors are constructing a reinforced concrete retaining wall on a system of bored piles, each one meter in diameter. To date, 26 of the 48 piles have been completed, with foundation and wall body work continuing.

An escape ramp at a bend on Khanh Le Pass, at an altitude of over 500 m, has been completed. At other locations, units continue to restore escape ramps, build retaining walls, and manage positive slopes.

The rainy season in Khanh Hoa typically peaks in October and November. In recent days, authorities have accelerated repairs on damaged sections of national highway 27C, which traverses Khanh Le Pass and serves as a crucial route connecting Nha Trang with Da Lat.

At a hairpin bend that experienced two severe landslides in 2024 and 2025, severing the pass, debris has been cleared. The road surface is currently being asphalted, and guardrails and other safety features are being completed before the rainy season.

The route of national highway 27C and landslide areas on Khanh Le Pass. Graphics: Tam Thao

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The road surface through Bo Lang village, Nam Khanh Vinh commune, has been reinforced, now allowing heavy vehicles to pass.

This location was one of the severely damaged sections on Khanh Le Pass in late 2025. A negative slope landslide caused the road surface to fracture and sink approximately 5 m, with potholes, cracks, and subsidence appearing over an area of about 1,500 m2.

The negative slope section on Khanh Le Pass has been reinforced with rocks, and the roadbed leveled. In the vicinity, excavators continue to clear and lay stones on the positive slope in preparation for subsequent reinforcement work.

Heavy rains in late 2025 caused about 100 landslides along the entire pass, forcing authorities to close the route for repairs. To date, critical landslide sites have been addressed, with some points remaining under observation and ongoing reinforcement.

More than 5 km away, a section of the pass at an altitude of over 300 m, which was previously blocked by a landslide, is now clear for two lanes of traffic. This location is near where an accident occurred on the night of 16/11/2025, killing six people.

According to the Khanh Hoa Department of Construction, national highway 27C, including Khanh Le Pass, still has nine points requiring reinforcement and repair. These projects have a total investment of nearly VND 125 billion, with a construction contract value exceeding VND 105.5 billion, scheduled for implementation from 8/6 to 5/10.

{"caption_all":"Workers construct a positive slope along Khanh Le Pass at an altitude of approximately 400 m.nThe slope is covered with high-strength steel mesh, combined with rockfall barriers, to stabilize the slope, prevent soil and rocks from spilling onto the road, and ensure safety for people and vehicles.","caption_items":"["",""]"}

A severe positive slope landslide in Nam Khanh Vinh commune has been addressed, and the road is clear. Authorities advise people to limit travel over the pass from 18h to 5h the next day, and to comply with road signs and traffic diversion instructions.

Khanh Le Pass is 33 km long and is part of the 121 km national highway 27C, serving as the main route connecting Nha Trang with Da Lat and the shortest path between these two tourist destinations.

Some sections of Khanh Le Pass feature continuous underground water flow and numerous precarious rock formations along the slopes, causing drivers concern about the risk of landslides and rockfalls.

Nguyen Van Hung, a driver who frequently travels the Nha Trang - Da Lat route, stated that traffic flow over the pass is currently smoother than before, but he remains uneasy with the upcoming rainy season. "I just hope critical points are reinforced soon, because with prolonged heavy rain, drivers crossing the pass are still very worried about landslides and rockfalls", he said.