Khanh Hoa People’s Committee is directing departments, sectors, and localities to implement construction of transport projects across road, railway, air, and sea. The entire transport infrastructure system is implemented under the national planning, which contributes to ensuring synchronised and modern connections.

“The department will be proactive in advising Khanh Hoa People’s Committee to concentrate on attracting power sources from central to localities and private sectors to invest in the province’s transport infrastructure system,” said Nguyen Van Dan, director of Khanh Hoa Department of Transport. “Establishing a smart and convenient transport network will strengthen the regional links with surrounding localities and large-scale economic centres, leading to creating a driving force for socioeconomic growth.”

Transport strategy to drive fortunes

The province will boast three expressway routes in the future – the 138-km North-South Expressway’s eastern section, the 117-km Khanh Hoa-Buon Me Thuot route, and the 85-km Nha Trang-Lien Khuong road.

According to the plan, the construction of the North-South Expressway’s eastern section is expected to be complete before 2030, while the Nha Trang-Lien Khuong route is expected to be implemented after 2030.

Notably, the Nha Trang-Cam Lam section and Cam Lam-Vinh Hao section, two components of the North-South Expressway, are expected to be completed this year. The third component, Van Phong-Nha Trang, is undergoing land clearance.

Khanh Hoa is also oriented to expand Cam Ranh International Airport. In June 2022, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam asked for approval to upgrade the airport this decade at a cost of just over $1 billion.

Under the revised planning scheme, the airport will serve 25 million passengers and handle 55,000 tonnes of goods annually before 2030. The figures will increase to 36 million passengers and 100,000 tonnes of goods by 2050.

Along with this, local authorities asked the Ministry of Transport to add Van Phong Airport into the south-central province’s draft planning for the 2021-2030 period to promote the development of its economic zone, while simultaneously studying feasibility for an airport for seaplanes for tourism growth in Van Phong, Nha Trang, and Cam Ranh.

Khanh Hoa’s current seaport system combines five large-scale seaport ports – North and South Van Phong, Nha Trang, Cam Ranh, and the port at Truong Sa Island. North Van Phong port has the potential to be upgraded to an international transshipment port which combines a container wharf, a general wharf, and an international passenger port handling large container ships with a capacity of 24,000TEU.

South Van Phong Port, meanwhile, directly serves Van Phong Economic Zone and handles general ships with a capacity of 100,000 tonnes, bulk vessels with a capacity of 300,000 tonnes, and liquefied natural gas vessels with a capacity of 150,000 tonnes. The third specialised port is Cam Ranh, which is responsible for ensuring security and defence.

Nha Trang Port is gradually being converted into a synchronous and modern marine tourism hub meeting international standards, able to receive international passenger ships from 100,000GT and over as well as other passenger ships on inland North-South routes.