New expressway underway for key Vietnamese link

Preparation work is underway in Vietnamese city Da Nang for the planned Da Nang-Quang Ngai Expressway. The 140km road will link the provinces of Quang Ngai and Quang Nam and site clearance work worth around US$48 million in compensation is being carried out at present. Construction of the expressway itself will commence in mid-2013 and the new road will cut journey times from three hours along the existing route to just two hours. The expressway project will also help by increasing safety and reducing congestion in the various towns along the route. Construction on the actual expressway itself will commence in Quang Nam Province's Dien Ban District. The project will cost $1.392 billion in all, with $673 million in funding coming from the Japan International Co-operation Agency (6706 JICA) and $635 million from the 2332 World Bank.