{"id":4562,"date":"2026-08-14T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/?post_type=news&p=4562"},"modified":"2026-08-14T13:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T04:00:00","slug":"central-expressway-etc","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/news\/central-expressway-etc\/","title":{"rendered":"Quang Ngai\u2013Nha Trang Expressway: Tolling Begins on 5 Sections From August 14"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>On the North-South Expressway (eastern route) through central Vietnam, five sections connecting Quang Ngai and Nha Trang \u2014 about 351km in total \u2014 become tolled from August 14, 2026. In a notice released on August 5, Vietnam's Directorate for Roads (C\u1ee5c \u0110\u01b0\u1eddng b\u1ed9 Vi\u1ec7t Nam) specified that tolling on all sections will be ETC-only (non-stop electronic toll collection). Since sections that have been free to drive since opening are all switching to tolled at once, residents and business travelers moving through central Vietnam by rental car or private car service should check their tag and account balance before setting off.<\/p>\n<h2>Tolling Starts August 14 on Five Sections Between Quang Ngai and Nha Trang<\/h2>\n<p>The five component projects (d\u1ef1 \u00e1n th\u00e0nh ph\u1ea7n) covered are Quang Ngai\u2013Hoai Nhon, Hoai Nhon\u2013Quy Nhon, Quy Nhon\u2013Chi Thanh, Chi Thanh\u2013Van Phong, and Van Phong\u2013Nha Trang. All opened in stages during the first half of 2026 and had not been charging tolls until now. The Directorate for Roads has instructed that toll-system trial operations be completed by August 10 at the latest, so that collection can begin on all five projects from August 14. Operations fall under Khu Qu\u1ea3n l\u00fd \u0111\u01b0\u1eddng b\u1ed9 III (Road Management Zone III), with a joint venture of ETC-VETC-VDTC-EPAY installing and running the system.<\/p>\n<p>Roughly, the distances by section are as follows. Combined, they total about 351km and connect with the Ho Chi Minh City\u2013Nha Trang expressway network, making it possible to drive the length of central Vietnam in one continuous stretch.<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Section<\/th>\n<th>Approximate distances<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Quang Ngai\u2013Hoai Nhon<\/td>\n<td>About 88km<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Hoai Nhon\u2013Quy Nhon<\/td>\n<td>Just over 70km<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Quy Nhon\u2013Chi Thanh<\/td>\n<td>About 62km<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Chi Thanh\u2013Van Phong<\/td>\n<td>Just over 48km<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Van Phong\u2013Nha Trang<\/td>\n<td>About 83.3km<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2>Toll Rate: 900 Dong per Kilometer, Charged for the Distance Actually Driven<\/h2>\n<p>The base rate for passenger cars (Group 1, PCU 1) is 900 dong per kilometer. Tolling is calculated based on the distance the vehicle actually travels (qu\u00e3ng \u0111\u01b0\u1eddng xe l\u0103n b\u00e1nh th\u1ef1c t\u1ebf) \u2014 a so-called closed-system (thu ph\u00ed k\u00edn) charge. The distance is determined by the entry and exit points, and the corresponding amount is automatically deducted from the account. Trucks and buses are charged at a higher rate according to their vehicle-class coefficient.<\/p>\n<p>Converting the cost for a passenger car into yen at roughly 10,000 dong \u2252 60 yen (an approximate rate as of August 2026) gives the following.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Van Phong\u2013Nha Trang (about 83.3km): about 75,000 dong = about 450 yen<\/li>\n<li>Quang Ngai\u2013Hoai Nhon (about 88km): about 79,000 dong = about 470 yen<\/li>\n<li>The full route (about 351km): about 316,000 dong = about 1900 yen<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The per-kilometer rate is considerably cheaper than Japanese expressways. However, all sections are ETC-only with no cash lanes \u2014 an easy point for travelers from Japan to overlook.<\/p>\n<h2>Check Your VETC or ePass Tag and Account Balance Before You Drive<\/h2>\n<p>The most practical part of this notice is the road authority's call to vehicle owners. The original text asks that \"ch\u1ee7 ph\u01b0\u01a1ng ti\u1ec7n ki\u1ec3m tra vi\u1ec7c d\u00e1n th\u1ebb ETC v\u00e0 b\u1ea3o \u0111\u1ea3m t\u00e0i kho\u1ea3n giao th\u00f4ng c\u00f2n \u0111\u1ee7 s\u1ed1 d\u01b0 tr\u01b0\u1edbc khi l\u01b0u th\u00f4ng\" (vehicle owners check that an ETC tag is affixed and that their transport account has sufficient balance before driving). Under closed-system ETC, vehicles without a tag or with an insufficient balance may be turned away at the entrance or require additional processing.<\/p>\n<p>There are two nationwide ETC tags in Vietnam: \"VETC\" from VETC and \"ePass\" from Viettel-affiliated VDTC. Stick either one to your windshield and keep a balance in the linked transport account (t\u00e0i kho\u1ea3n giao th\u00f4ng), and you can use it on expressways nationwide. Balances can be topped up through each provider's app or by bank transfer, so if you're planning a long drive through central Vietnam, it's safer to load more than the sum of the section tolls.<\/p>\n<h2>This Isn't Just for People Driving Themselves<\/h2>\n<p>Residents and business travelers who leave the driving to someone else are affected too. If you arrange a car service (xe d\u1ecbch v\u1ee5) or rental car to travel through central Vietnam, that vehicle needs a tag and sufficient balance to enter the expressway. Most commercial and rental vehicles already carry a tag, but since these sections are being tolled for the first time from August 14, a quick check when booking \u2014 \"is the ETC tag and balance okay?\" \u2014 helps avoid getting held up at the entrance. The same goes for airport transfers or charters: deciding in advance how the toll is handled (billed separately or included) prevents disputes when settling up.<\/p>\n<h2>How This Changes Travel Around Quy Nhon and Nha Trang<\/h2>\n<p>With these five sections now connected, you can drive straight south from Da Nang or Quang Ngai to Quy Nhon and on to Nha Trang, bypassing congested local roads and mountain passes. Quy Nhon, with its scattered beaches, and resort-town Nha Trang have mainly been reached by train or plane until now, but the fully connected expressway makes driving a more realistic option. Even with tolls in place, the rate is low, and split among several passengers it's a fully viable alternative to buses or trains.<\/p>\n<p>If you want to take a leisurely drive along the central coast,<a href=\"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/area_post\/quy-hon\/\">Quy Nhon sightseeing guide<\/a>and for a coffee break once you arrive,<a href=\"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/column\/nhatrang-coffee\/\">our Nha Trang coffee caf\u00e9 guide<\/a>are worth checking too, for easier planning. As for why Quy Nhon has been featured in international travel media,<a href=\"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/news\/quynhon-lonely-planet\/\">this article<\/a>covers that in detail. If you're driving through central Vietnam after August 14, start by checking your tag and balance.<\/p>\n<h2>Sources<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/baochinhphu.vn\/thu-phi-cao-toc-doan-quang-ngai-nha-trang-tu-ngay-14-8-102260805190128168.htm\">B\u00e1o Ch\u00ednh ph\u1ee7\u300cThu ph\u00ed cao t\u1ed1c \u0111o\u1ea1n Qu\u1ea3ng Ng\u00e3i-Nha Trang t\u1eeb 14\/8\u300d\uff082026-08-05\uff09<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/baotintuc.vn\/kinh-te\/them-5-tuyen-cao-toc-quang-ngai-den-nha-trang-thu-phi-khong-dung-tu-ngay-148-20260807163927258.htm\">B\u00e1o Tin t\u1ee9c\u300cTh\u00eam 5 tuy\u1ebfn cao t\u1ed1c Qu\u1ea3ng Ng\u00e3i \u0111\u1ebfn Nha Trang thu ph\u00ed kh\u00f4ng d\u1eebng t\u1eeb ng\u00e0y 14\/8\u300d\uff082026-08-07\uff09<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/voh.com.vn\/giao-thong\/tu-148-thu-phi-5-tuyen-cao-toc-tu-quang-ngai-den-nha-trang-662864.html\">VOH, \"T\u1eeb 14\/8 thu ph\u00ed 5 tuy\u1ebfn cao t\u1ed1c t\u1eeb Qu\u1ea3ng Ng\u00e3i \u0111\u1ebfn Nha Trang\" (toll rate 900 \u0111\u1ed3ng\/PCU\/km)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u30d9\u30c8\u30ca\u30e0\u4e2d\u90e8\u306e\u5357\u5317\u9ad8\u901f\u3001\u30af\u30a2\u30f3\u30ac\u30a4\u301c\u30cb\u30e3\u30c1\u30e3\u30f35\u533a\u9593\u7d04351km\u304c2026\u5e748\u670814\u65e5\u304b\u3089\u6709\u6599\u306b\u3002\u5168\u533a\u9593ETC\u5c02\u7528\u3067\u5358\u4fa1\u306f1km900\u30c9\u30f3\u3002\u8d70\u884c\u524d\u306eVETC\/ePass\u30bf\u30b0\u3068\u6b8b\u9ad8\u78ba\u8a8d\u3001\u30ec\u30f3\u30bf\u30ab\u30fc\u30fb\u5c02\u7528\u8eca\u624b\u914d\u6642\u306e\u6ce8\u610f\u70b9\u3092\u6574\u7406\u3002<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"swell_btn_cv_data":"","ssp_meta_description":"","ssp_meta_keyword":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[19,427],"tags":[900,679,901,37,899],"purpose":[],"keyword":[],"location":[],"class_list":["post-4562","news","type-news","status-publish","hentry","category-news","category-transport","tag-etc","tag-679","tag-901","tag-nha-trang","tag-899"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/4562","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4562"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/4562\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4724,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/4562\/revisions\/4724"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4562"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4562"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4562"},{"taxonomy":"purpose","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/purpose?post=4562"},{"taxonomy":"keyword","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/keyword?post=4562"},{"taxonomy":"location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/location?post=4562"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}