One of the modern road repair vehicles donated by the government of Japan.

Japan provides high-grade road repair equipment for Laos

Japan is providing 24 high quality road repair vehicles including road stabilisers and motor graders to the Lao government, worth 800 million yen (about US$5.3 million), which will be deployed nationwide, along with 1.5 billion yen (about US$10 million) in new aid under an agreement signed on April 26.
The equipment donated by the Japanese government will enable faster repair of deteriorated and damaged roads in Laos.
A ceremony to hand over the vehicles, titled “Economic and Social Development Programme (Road Repair Related Equipment)”, took place in Vientiane last Thursday.
The vehicles were handed over by Japanese Ambassador Kenichi Kobayashi to the Minister of Public Works and Transport, Mr Ngampasong Muongmany, in the presence of the Vice President of the National Assembly, Mr Sommad Pholsena.
When repairing roads in the past, the old paving was removed and disposed of before new paving was laid, but the new equipment will enable old paving to be incorporated into the resurfacing process.
This will extend the service life of roads, shorten repair times and lower costs, as well as reduce the environmental impact by lessening the amount of road waste, while also enabling faster recovery from road damage caused by landslides and flooding.
To support the sustainable economic development of Laos, Japan has been assisting with the repair and construction of high-quality road infrastructure in various parts of the country, including the Second Mekong International Bridge, Pakxe Bridge, National Road No. 9, and Vientiane National Road No. 1.
This support not only ensures the comfort and safety of road users, but also strengthens logistics. These roads and bridges are part of the country’s arterial routes that form the backbone of economic, industrial and trade development, and support the Lao government’s policy to turn Laos from being land-locked to land-linked.
The relationship between Japan and Laos has grown stronger and stronger since the upgrade to a strategic partnership in 2015.

By Times Reporters
 (Latest Update May 13, 2024)