Department of Highways opens Nong Khai bypass for Thai-Lao trade
The 21.8-km eastern bypass lets motorists avoid central Nong Khai, easing congestion and strengthening logistics links between Thailand and Lao PDR.
- The Department of Highways has opened the 21.8-kilometre Nong Khai eastern bypass to improve transport efficiency for Thai-Lao trade.
- The new route connects major highways, allowing commercial and passenger traffic to bypass the congested Nong Khai town centre, a key trade gateway to Laos.
- Built to alleviate traffic from rising trade volumes, the bypass aims to reduce travel times and strengthen economic connectivity between the two countries.
The Department of Highways (DOH) said that, through Highway Construction Office 2 and the Bureau of Bridge Construction, it has completed the Nong Khai eastern bypass highway project, with a total distance of more than 21.8 kilometres and a budget of THB2.893 billion.
The route has now been opened for travel between Udon Thani, Nong Khai and Bueng Kan without passing through the town centre, cutting travel time and traffic congestion, improving people’s quality of life, supporting the economy, trade and tourism in the area, and tangibly strengthening economic connectivity between Thailand and Lao PDR.
This full opening is intended to improve the efficiency of travel and transport in Nong Khai province.
The route connects Highway No. 2 (Mittraphap Road) and Highway No. 212, covering Pho Chai, Wat That and Hat Kham subdistricts in Mueang Nong Khai district, Nong Khai province.
It allows motorists to bypass the town centre more conveniently and eases congestion, particularly on the main routes carrying heavy traffic.
The Nong Khai eastern bypass project was designed as a new route built to special-class highway standards, with four lanes in total, two in each direction.
Each lane is 3.50 metres wide, with traffic separated by a depressed median, and the road surface is asphalt concrete.
The project also involved the construction of a grade-separated bridge at the National Housing Authority junction on Mittraphap Road, linking to Highway No. 212, the Nong Khai–Ubon Ratchathani route, as well as a canal bridge, a U-turn point, a U-turn bridge, and the widening of Highway No. 2 from four lanes to six lanes in both directions from km 502+000 to km 507+750, together with lighting and safety facilities.
Nong Khai province is an important trade gateway between Thailand and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, with the 1st Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge serving as the main route linking to Vientiane.
As trade, investment and tourism have continued to expand, traffic volumes have risen, and congestion in the urban area has worsened, prompting the Department of Highways to accelerate infrastructure development to support that growth.
