Vang Vieng is to receive a USD 8 million upgrade to improve its infrastructure, according to the Vientiane Times.
The tourist town will see new roads and bridges, as well as improved drainage under the project which is being funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Vientiane Times reports that a new road to Kaeng Nyui Waterfall is to be built, which will take 24 months to complete.
Xaya Construction and Repair Co. Ltd is to undertake the work after signing an agreement with the Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism in July.
The 6km road will be six meters wide and will facilitate shops and restaurants for tourists to stop at, with a sidewalk allowing for pedestrians.
Meanwhile, the infrastructure project will also see the construction of an 80-meter concrete bridge crossing the Nam Song River, as well as a road along the west side of the river.
The Government of Laos announced in 2019 that it planned to nurture Vang Vieng District into the country’s “official tourism town” by 2020, with a USD 47 million infrastructure grant provided by ADB to improve infrastructure in the district and around the Nam Ngum reservoir to accommodate the growth of tourism.
Then-Prime Minister Thongloun made a working trip to Vang Vieng to assess the district and offer advice on how to better develop the tourist town.
