The two cities rank among Vietnam's best-known holiday destinations, Nha Trang for its beaches on the south-central coast and Da Lat for its cool, pine-covered highlands.
They are linked today only by National Highway 27C, a winding mountain road that takes 3.5 hours and is prone to severe landslides during the rainy season.
The provincial government, which administers Nha Trang, says the new route would shorten the journey to about 1.5 to 2 hours and give the corridor a safer, higher-standard connection.
Under the regional master plan, the full Nha Trang-Lien Khuong expressway would run about 99 kilometers in two segments: the 80.8-kilometer Nha Trang-Da Lat stretch and the 18.2-kilometer Da Lat-Lien Khuong stretch.
Khanh Hoa has proposed prioritizing the Nha Trang-Da Lat segment for construction before 2030. It would begin at an interchange with the eastern North-South Expressway in Dien Tho Commune, Khanh Hoa, and end at the Darahoa interchange, where it would link National Highway 27C and Huynh Tan Phat Street in Lam Vien Ward, Da Lat, of Lam Dong Province.
