Opening of new Thai-Lao bridge delayed

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In: South-East Asia

PUBLISHED : 2 Aug 2024 at 16:50

The bridge between Bung Kan province and Laos' Bolikhamxay province is under construction. (Photo: Highways Department Facebook page)
The bridge between Bung Kan province and Laos’ Bolikhamxay province is under construction. (Photo: Highways Department Facebook page)

A new bridge over the Mekong River connecting Thailand and Laos is now expected to open in mid-2025, a delay from the earlier plan for this year.

The bridge, located between Bung Kan province and Bolikhamxay in Laos, is more than 90% complete, Highways Department director-general Sarawut Songsivilai said on Friday.

Earlier, Thailand and Laos had aimed for the bridge’s opening this year, following the groundbreaking ceremony in 2023, attended by then-Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and then-Lao Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh. 

This fifth bridge between the two Asean countries, spanning 16 kilometres, is being constructed in Muang district of Bung Kan and Pakxan, Bolikhamxay’s provincial capital. It will also link Thailand to central Vietnam and southern China.