Vang Vieng Expressway will Officially Open on 20 December

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Vientiane to Vang Vieng Expressway to Open End of 2020

Authorities have confirmed that the Vientiane to Vang Vieng Expressway will be officially open for use on 20 December.

According to a notice issued by the Prime Minister’s Office yesterday, the Vientiane to Vang Vieng expressway will officially open on in two weeks time, with toll-free travel on the road for three days.

The expressway was originally scheduled to open in time for Lao National Day on 2 December, however final works caused some delay.  To make up for this, operators are now offering toll-free travel between 21 to 23 December.

Any vehicle with a top speed of 80 kilometers per hour or less will also be prohibited from using the expressway.

The expressway will allow cars to travel at speeds between 80 to 110 kilometers per hour, while buses and freight trucks must drive at speeds of 80 to 90 kilometers per hour in good weather.

The toll of the expressway is expected to be charged at approximately LAK 550 per kilometer, meaning around LAK 60,000 for a one-way trip from Vientiane to Vang Vieng, cutting the travel time to under two hours.

The Vientiane to Vang Vieng expressway, linking the nation’s capital with the resort town of Vang Vieng, will stretch some 109 kilometers.

Chinese investors will operate the expressway under a 50-year concession agreement, valued at USD1.2 billion, with the Lao government holding a five percent stake.