National Road No. 22, commonly known as Phou Kao Lak, which traverses this notorious mountain stretch connecting Vientiane and Luang Prabang provinces, reopened on 3 April, following months of rehabilitation work that had severely restricted access along the route.
The entire 68.5-kilometer road stretch from Viengkeo village in Kasi district, Vientiane Province, to Pongdong village in Nan district, Luang Prabang is now open to all vehicles.
Rehabilitation began in late October 2025, initially limiting travel to specific windows before easing to private vehicles only from 1 February 2026.
The full reopening now welcomes all vehicle categories, accompanied by a newly introduced toll collection policy.

Motorbikes, private cars, government vehicles, and ambulances are fully exempt. Empty buses and vans without passengers also pass through at no charge.
Commercial operators, however, will pay fees based on vehicle size and load.
A loaded six-wheel pickup is charged LAK 200,000 (around USD 9), while larger six-to-eight-wheel trucks pay up to 600,000 LAK (USD 27) when loaded. The heaviest vehicles, trucks with 22 or more wheels, face a maximum toll of 2,020,000 LAK (approximately USD 91) under full load.
Motorists wishing to avoid the toll are encouraged to use National Road No. 13 North as an alternate route.


