A road stretching 26km along the Mekong River in southern Vientiane, which also serves as an embankment, will soon be paved and ready for commercial traffic.
The road improvement, which was announced in 2016, serves as part of the Vientiane Flood Embankment Protection Project, under the Flood and Drought Risk Management and Mitigation Project (FDRMMP).
The embankment helps to protect the city against flooding, while offering a new route for traffic to travel through southern Vientiane. This will ease traffic on Kaysone Phomvihane Road, which is currently the only major road facilitating traffic bound for the country’s southern provinces.
A loan has been provided by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) at US$ 36.5 million to finance the project.
The road stretches from the Vientiane-Nong Khai Friendship Bridge, downstream through Huaymark-hiew Village in Hatxayfong District, befor connecting to Phao Village in Pakngum District, which then connects to Route 13 South.
It is said the road will alleviate traffic congestion in Vientiane Capital by offering a new route, and will become a regular commercial route between Vientiane and the southern provinces.
Many large trucks are already using the road, despite its lack of sealed surfacing. An 8km section has already been paved, while another 6km section near Buddha Park will be surfaced by the end of April, prior to the rainy season.
Villagers are happy with the new route, which saves them time when transporting crops to markets in the area. The original roads, in poor condition, meant a trip of up to three hours to the city center for some, and will now take only one hour.
The road upgrade will also better facilitate tourists who want to visit Buddha Park, which is a popular tourist attraction located 25km southeast of downtown Vientiane Capital.
The Flood and Drought Risk Management and Mitigation Project is comprised of several components, including urban flood risk management, disaster risk management systems, disaster risk financing and insurance, project management, and contingency emergency response.
Source: Vientiane Times
