Opening roads on cliffs
In the midst of the last days of 2025, when the Central region is bustlingly preparing for the early Tet, the Quang Ngai - Hoai Nhon expressway is also entering its final stages of completion. From the mountain peaks bordering Quang Ngai - Gia Lai, calls urging work echo like the drumbeat of more than 1,000 days and nights of uninterrupted work.
Few people thought that after only three seasons of rain and storms, an 88 km long highway with three tunnels with a total length of over 4.5km could be completed sooner by more than 8 months. But that seemingly impossible thing came true on December 19, 2025 - the moment the project officially inaugurated and opened to traffic throughout the route.
Right from the start of construction in early January 2023, the Prime Minister clearly directed: Open to where, do to where, absolutely do not let congestion or overlap of procedures. That order became a "guide" for contractors to manage progress day by day, hour by hour.
The first construction teams weave into the rugged rocky mountains, where many sections have never had footprints of heavy machinery. In temporary camps set up on the mountainside, workers of Deo Ca Group recounted that in peak months they almost "live in tunnels", facing many dangers. Mr. Tran Hai Au - worker of XL2 package recounted: "On days of torrential rain, water rushes down white. No one tells anyone, just gather them together and do it. One hour late is a chain of delays.
At tunnel number 3 - the "heart" of the project - construction conditions are even harsher. The tunnel is more than 3,200m long, the largest of the entire North-South expressway in the 2021-2025 period, at times more than 500 engineers and workers are divided into 3 shifts for 24 hours. "We dig mountains with all our strength and pride. Each meter of tunnel is a milestone of perseverance" - Mr. Nguyen Tien Thanh - Commander of tunnel number 3 shared.
In mid-December 2025, when reporters were present at the construction site, the bustling atmosphere was evident on every face. More than 80/88km of road surface had been paved with asphalt; 60 bridges were completed simultaneously. Construction teams focused on intersections, service roads and traffic safety systems. Inside the tunnel, electrical engineer Nguyen Huu Thang and the technical team were busy checking the fan system, lighting, cameras, loudspeakers and fire prevention and fighting. “Looking at the tunnel brightly lit, the systems operating smoothly, we felt like we were relieving a mountain of pressure” - Mr. Thang said.
Outside, the construction teams are paving asphalt, painting roads, installing railings, signs... The sound of machinery resonates endlessly, harmonizing with the calls of workers to create a passionate construction music.
1,000 fast days
According to the contract, the project is expected to be completed in August 2026. But with the determination of Project Management Board 2 and the efforts of the contractor consortium led by Deo Ca Group, the progress has been dramatically shortened. Each item is divided into smaller items, deployed in parallel – "tunnel for tunnel, bridge for bridge, road for road" – drastically reducing waiting time.
Mr. Tran Dai Xuan - Deputy Director of the Project Management Board - affirmed: "Not luck. This is the result of scientific construction organization and the extremely high sense of responsibility of the entire force.
On December 19, 2025, the Quang Ngai - Hoai Nhon expressway officially reached the finish line, exceeding the plan by more than 8 months - one of the rare progress records of the transportation industry. With a total investment of more than 20,400 billion VND, the expressway passes through Quang Ngai and Gia Lai, opening a new connecting axis between the Central - Central Highlands regions, designed with 4 lanes, operating speed of 80km/h.
The appearance of this route significantly reduces the load on National Highway 1 - which has been overloaded for many years - and at the same time creates a new "bloodline" for transportation for the regional economy. The expressway helps shorten transportation time between Dung Quat seaport, central industrial parks to the Central Highlands, creating a strong boost for logistics and trade.
On the opening day, many workers stood silently watching the first stream of vehicles passing through the tunnel. No one said anything, but in their eyes pride shone. More than 1,000 days - not long compared to the decades of life of the expressway - but it was a time of hardship, of the spirit of "working daytime is not enough - taking advantage of nighttime", of hasty meals by the drilling machine, and sleepless nights in the mountain shelter.
Now, on the cliffs that were once dug deep, a modern road has opened, connecting lands, connecting even dreams. The Quang Ngai - Hoai Nhon expressway has been completed and its story will be repeated as evidence of the aspiration to rise of thousands of people who have created a straight road in the sunny and windy Central region.
