Lao-Thai 3rd Friendship Bridge

Third Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge spans Mekong

Somsack Pongkhao
Vientiane Times
Publication Date : 25-01-2011

The third Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge, linking Khammuan province in central Laos to Nakhon Phanom province in northeastern Thailand now spans the Mekong River, project officials said on Monday (January 24).

Deputy head of the Mekong Bridge Project Nongsavan Thammavong said the bridge is now 73 per cent complete and is expected to open for public use in November.

"We are planning to hold a Buddhist ceremony in March to mark the connection of the bridge," he said, adding that construction is progressing faster than anticipated.

The 780m bridge will also connect Thailand and Laos to seaports in central Viet Nam through Road No.12 in Khammuan province. Officials believe the bridge will boost trade, investment and tourism between the three countries.

Construction of the bridge began in May 2009, funded solely by the Thai government.

The Lao government has granted permission for a local businessman to develop a special economic zone on an area of 4,850 hectares nearby, of which 3,620 hectares will be protected.

The rest of the site will be developed as an area for trade and will contain processing plants, a financial centre, hotel, resort, schools, cultural exhibition centre, organic farm, and a sports and health centre.

Meanwhile, construction of the Fourth Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge over the Mekong, between Bokeo province in Laos and Chiang Rai province in Thailand, has also made good progress.

Deputy head of the project Thavone Vorabout said the bridge is now 9.5 per cent finished and the structure is scheduled for completion next year.

"We are building roads to connect with the bridge on both the Lao and Thai sides, as well as building pillars for the bridge," he said.

The Thai and Lao governments will each pay 50 per cent of the cost of construction, with Laos receiving grant assistance from the Chinese government.

Thavone said the total cost of the bridge is estimated to reach US$44.8 million. The 480m long bridge is part of the north-south economic corridor linking China with Asean nations through Highway R3A.

The route will be important in the promotion of trade, investment and tourism between China, Laos, Thailand and other Asean nations. The bridge contributes to Asean economic integration and the plan to upgrade Laos from a landlocked to a land-linked nation.

According to the Asean website, the Asean-China Free Trade Area came into effect on January 1, 2010. Asean and China have a combined market of 1.9 billion people, accounting for a combined GDP of close to $6 trillion and a total trade volume of $4.5 trillion.

The first Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge was built in 1994, linking Vientiane to Nong Khai province in Thailand.

The second Lao-Thai bridge was built in 2007 linking Savannakhet province to Mukdahan in Thailand.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Mekong
• Bridge
• Thai
• Lao
• lao-thai
• 3rd
• Friendship
• laos
• lane
• xang
• ลาว

[chamonix940]

ດານ ສຸນລະກາກອນ "ແບບລ້ານຊ້າງ"  ກໍໝາຍຄວາມວ່າ ແຕ່ເດີມ ແມ່ນລາວໃນປັຈຈຸບັນ.

[buklao559]

@SiNgHayStyle man 

[SiNgHayStyle]

@buklao559 stop being so negative lol

[buklao559]

friendship. wooo keeee lyer

[mosmosza2003]

No lao