Panoramic view of Phu Quoc International Airport. (Source: VNA)

A key feature of the project to upgrade the corridor connecting Phu Quoc International Airport with the APEC Conference Centre is the integration of an LRT line along the central median. The project combines high-capacity road infrastructure with urban rail transport, aiming to ensure seamless traffic flows and minimise at-grade crossings.

The LRT line has been designed with a flexible alignment adapted to the terrain, comprising 14.81 km at ground level, 0.78 km on elevated structures and 2 km underground through the APEC core area. Along the route are six stations, each designed around stories associated with different regions of Viet Nam, from the northwestern region and Hanoi's Old Quarter to the former imperial capital of Hue, the Central Highlands and Saigon, alongside the underground APEC station.

Extending from the DT975 corridor is APEC Boulevard, an approximately 3-kilometre ceremonial avenue leading to the APEC conference and exhibition complex and the multipurpose theatre.

Large LED screens and electronic display boards are being installed in a coordinated manner along the central median and at key junctions to showcase Viet Nam's country, people and cultural identity to international visitors.

Alongside the technical solutions, the landscape along DT975 is being planned as a continuous green ecological corridor. The central median will feature a layer of “green infrastructure” incorporating indigenous bougainvillea.

To turn the plan into reality, construction work on DT975 is proceeding at an accelerated pace. Despite the challenges posed by the rainy season and complex geological conditions, construction teams continue to operate three shifts around the clock, seven days a week, in order to remain on track with the project's critical path.

For the LRT system, while the tunnels, bridges and station structures are under construction, track installation on the prepared trackbed is also progressing in parallel.

Over the next six months, the entire 17.59-kilometre double-track section is expected to have its rail systems fully installed, placing the project among the urban rail schemes being implemented at a relatively rapid pace in Viet Nam.

Dr. Vo Tri Thanh, Director of the Institute for Brand and Competitiveness Strategy Research, said APEC 2027 represents a rare opportunity for Phu Quoc to make a qualitative leap in infrastructure development and establish a new growth pole.

According to a representative of Sun Group, to ensure lasting benefits beyond APEC 2027, the DT975 corridor is being developed as part of an emerging multimodal infrastructure network on Phu Quoc, connecting air, water and land transport.

Within this broader framework, the expansion of Phu Quoc International Airport will serve as the island's gateway by air and is also being accelerated for operation in 2027. At the same time, Sun Group and An Giang province are studying cooperation on more than 10 infrastructure and tourism projects, with the aim of developing Phu Quoc into an international tourism, commercial and financial centre.

Among the key projects are An Thoi International Port and the 40-hectare mixed-use tourism and port logistics urban development project in Phu Quoc Special Zone, with total investment estimated at VND17 trillion. The project is being developed in coordination with the coastal road connecting to An Thoi seaport.

The integration of air transport, a multi-lane road corridor, urban rail and port infrastructure is intended not only to enhance Phu Quoc's immediate transport and transit capacity, but also to lay the foundations for an integrated transport structure over the longer term, becoming part of the island's competitiveness and opening up new space for development.