On the morning of July 22, the People's Committee of Lam Dong Province announced that the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment had approved the partial closure of the mineral extraction area at the Nam Suoi Nhum titan-zircon mine in Tan Thanh Commune. The decision paves the way for the province to resume construction of the remaining section of the DT719B coastal road project, which has been stalled for years due to overlapping titan mining activities.
According to the ministry's notice, the approved closure covers 12.52 hectares of the Nam Suoi Nhum titan-zircon mine, which is operated by Tan Quang Cuong Trading Co., Ltd. The area will be returned to facilitate construction of the Phan Thiet–Ke Ga section of the DT719B coastal road, while the company will continue mining on the remaining area of more than 502 hectares. The partial mine closure is scheduled to be completed before August 9.
Upon completing all tasks required under the partial mine closure plan, the company must report to the Lam Dong Provincial People's Committee, which will conduct inspections, carry out acceptance procedures, and complete the handover of the closed mining area to the local authorities for management in accordance with regulations.
The Phan Thiet–Ke Ga section of the DT719B coastal road has a total investment of more than VND1.274 trillion (US$48.4 million) and stretches over 25 kilometers. Construction began in 2020. To date, around 18 kilometers have been opened to traffic, with nearly 80 percent of the project completed. However, the entire route has yet to be finished because construction on a remaining 3.88-kilometer section passing through the Nam Suoi Nhum titan mine has been unable to proceed due to unresolved site clearance.
The approval for the partial closure of the titan mine is expected to remove the project's biggest bottleneck, enabling local authorities to complete procedures for taking over the site, accelerate construction, and complete the road linking the North–South Expressway with the Mui Ne National Tourist Area and coastal areas in the southern part of Lam Dong Province.
