Bokeo-Xayaboury river bridge over 65 percent complete

A 505-metre bridge spanning the Mekong River between Paktha district in Bokeo province and Khop district in Xayaboury province, which also provides an easier link with Thailand, is now over 65 percent complete but is running behind schedule.
Deputy Project Manager Mr Xayphone Phommavong said construction of the bridge, known as the Kontuen-Huaykeo Bridge, has encountered challenges because of the high level of the river, while progress has also been slowed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The contractor is currently working on the main structure of the bridge, which is made of concrete and steel and is 12.5 metres wide with a surface width of 7.4 metres. There will also be footpaths measuring 1.75 metres along each side.
The construction cost of over 180 billion kip is being funded by the government. Work began in October 2017 and was scheduled to take 36 months with completion in September 2020, but various difficulties have   put the project behind schedule.
The bridge will provide an easier link from National Road No. 2243 in Paktha district, Bokeo province, to Khop district in Xayboury province, and on to Thailand.
It will offer a shortcut for motorists travelling through the area and facilitate trade between Laos and Thailand.
The bridge will be important for the economic development of the region as a whole by improving the flow of goods.
When complete, it will be the longest steel bridge in Laos, followed by the Thangon Bridge across the Nam Ngum river in Vientiane and another bridge spanning the Mekong from Paklai district in Xayaboury province to Xanakham district in Vientiane province.
Xayaboury is also linked to Luang Prabang province by a bridge that spans the Mekong between Thadeua village in Xayaboury province and Pakkhone village in Luang Prabang province.
Another bridge crosses the Mekong at Pakbaeng, linking Xayaboury and Oudomxay provinces.

By Times Reporters
(Latest Update July 29, 2021)