Laos-Myanmar bridge to open this week
Deputy Prime Minister Somsavat Lengsavad has made an inspection of the newly built Laos-Myanmar Mekong Friendship Bridge, which crosses the Mekong from Luang Namtha province, ahead of the official opening ceremony on Saturday.
The committee in charge of the project reported to Mr Somsavat that construction was finished on time. The bridge was finished several months ahead of schedule after work began in early 2013.
On April 9, high-ranking officials from Laos and Myanmar will travel to the bridge to officially declare it open to traffic.
The opening ceremony will begin at 9am on Saturday and will be broadcast live by Lao National Television's channel 1.
The project is a joint investment by the Lao and Myanmar governments, at a cost of US$26 million.
The bridge is 691.6 metres long, has traffic lanes 8.5 metres in width, and sidewalks 1.2 metres wide.
On the Lao side the bridge links the Xiengkok river port north of Huaykoum village in Long district, Luang Namtha province, with Xienglap village in Shan state, Myanmar.
This is the first bridge linking the two countries, and has been built to boost trade, investment and tourism between Laos and Myanmar and other countries in the region.
It is also hoped the bridge will build connectivity and understanding between the peoples of Laos and Myanmar. In addition, the bridge is seen as a new symbol of cooperation, good relations and solidarity between the peoples of the two countries.
The bridge will link Laos' National Road No. 17E and Myanmar's National Road No. 4.
It is also expected to benefit neighbouring countries such as Vietnam and China, and also extend benefits to India and Bangladesh.
Residents of Luang Namtha province, on the Lao side of the bridge, especially those in Long and Sing districts, will directly benefit from the provision of services and border trade between Myanmar, Vietnam, China and Thailand.
Laos has four other bridges across the Mekong, linking the country with Thailand.
