Lam Dong is a mountainous province; therefore the transportation network plays a very important role. Although there are all means of transportation -by land, by air, by railway, by inland waterway, the road system plays the most important part, whereas railway, airway and waterway have not been much exploited.

1. Road system: The total road length of the whole province is 1,744 km, of which about 459 km are asphalted roads, the rest are macadam roads and pathways. They are categorized as following:

-The National Route System is 412 km long with 264 km of asphalted roads.

-The Provincial Route System is 346 km long with only 23 km of asphalted roads.

-The District Route System is 986 km long with 171 km of asphalted roads.

The road system is distributed rather properly, connecting the provincial center with the district and commune centers and other population areas. However, some lines are not adequate with low service, because the road surface of mainly dirt becomes muddy in rainy seasons. The whole province has 179 bridges with the total length of 3690.9m of which permanent and semi-permanent bridges concentrate mostly on National routes, while the provincial and district lines have mainly weak or temporary bridges.

2. Airway: Lam Dong province has four airports: Lien Khuong, Cam Ly, Bao Loc and Loc Phat. The active airport of Lien Khuong belonging to Duc Trong District, is adjacent to the National Routes No 20, 27, and about 27 km from Dalat with the area of 160 hectares and the runway of 2400m. Besides, Cam Ly airport (Dalat) has been repaired and put into operation for small planes, yet this airport does not work regularly.

3. Railway: The railway of 84 km long running through the provincial area built since the French colonization has been reconstructed only 7 km from Dalat to Trai Mat to serve tourists.

4. Waterway: Lam Dong has not only many rivers and streams but also many waterfalls and whirlpools, therefore waterway transportation is limited. Presently, communication is possible on Dong Nai River of about 60 km from Da Teh to Cat Tien.

5. The whole province now has 15 coach stations, of which two stations are in Dalat and the rest at other districts.

ORIENTATION FOR DEVELOPING LAM DONG TRANSPORTATION

Recently, the People's Committee of Lam Dong Province has just passed the province's transportation development project until 2010 and orientation to 2020. Accordingly, investment for constructing and developing transportation is very necessary because communication infrastructure is both the prerequisite and impulseto develop economy, society and to guarantee security and national defense, helping Lam Dong province and the whole nation enter the 21st century in the direction of industrialization and modernization.

1. Road system: Upgrading National Routes No 20, 27, 28. Particularly, National Route No 20 will be enlarged in some parts through the townlets of Di Linh, Lien Nghia, and from Lien Khuong Airport to the foot of Prenn Pass. Part 20 B from the foot of Prenn Pass to Dalat will be reconstructed and upgraded to guarantee two-way communication. The part of Tran Hung Dao street from the former Kim Cuc Gas Station roundabout to Trai Mat will be enlarged. Two roundabout ways surrounding Dalat will be rebuilt and upgraded to decrease the number of vehicles entering the city. Some parts of the streets inside Dalat city will be restricted to pedestrians only.

Provincial Routes No 721, 722, 723, 725 will be upgraded. Provincial Route No 721 after being asphalted and two bridges of Phuoc cat and Da Quay across Dong Nai River after being built will play an important part

Dalat Railway station

in the communication among the provinces in the area undertaken by National Routes No 20 and 14. Thus, this part of Provincial Route will be officially proposed to the Transportation Ministry to be upgraded to National Route.

The Da Ploa-Doan Ket line through Dam Ri townlet and Doan Ket hamlet close to Binh Thuan has been asphalted, strong bridges have been built except the suspension bridge through Doan Ket hamlet is still a temporary one. This line in the future will be upgraded to National Route, connected with Provincial Route No 720 which has been upgraded to National Route to join National Routes No 1A, 20 and 14.

Provincial Route No 723 will be built to connect Nha Trang and will be proposed to be National Route No 20 annex.

Besides, Provincial Route No 725 will be quickly built, forming a new line parallel with National Route No 20, passing the important areas of the province, and lessening traffic pressure on National Route No 20.

2. Airway: to attract tourists to Lam Dong as well as to create conditions for Lam Dong to integrate with the area, it is necessary to upgrade all airports in Lam Dong; particularly, Lien Khuong Airport will be upgraded to international standard.

3. Railway: Proposal to the Government is made to restore the Dalat -Phan Rang line to develop tourism and to export goods, agricultural products, vegetables and flowers conveniently when the cross-Asia railway is built.

4. Transportation: To serve well the need of transporting passengers and goods, the coach stations in Dalat, Bao Loc and other districts will be upgraded or built new suitable to the present social-economic development and orientation for development in the coming years. Buses, monorail trains will be used and developed in Dalat, Bao Loc and along important national and provincial routes.