Surveying, clearance, and destruction of unexploded ordnance (UXO) along the Laos-Vietnam Railway project in Khammouane Province has reached 90 percent completion, clearing the way for heavy machinery to begin construction, local media reported on 12 November.
The work is entering its final phase, with the project preparing to move into infrastructure construction.
The project owner, PTL Holding Company, appointed Insi Company to carry out field clearance along the route, removing unexploded bombs and other ordnance before excavation and earthworks begin.
Large Bombs Found in Khammouane
Recent clearance operations have highlighted the risks facing construction teams in the province.
Last month, Insi’s team relocated three large unexploded bombs weighing about 1,360 kilograms in total in Boualapha District. The bombs included two MK-82s and one 907-kilogram MK-85, found about 35 kilometers from the Vietnamese border.
UXO clearance is necessary to protect construction workers and nearby communities, as well as prevent accidents and delays once heavy machinery begins excavation.
The USD 6.6 Billion Railway to Vung Ang Port
The USD 6.6 billion railway will stretch about 562 kilometres from Vientiane to Vung Ang Port in Vietnam’s Ha Tinh Province, giving landlocked Laos direct access to the sea. About 460 kilometers of the line lie in Laos and 102 kilometers lie in Vietnam.
In Laos, the line runs from Vientiane through Bolikhamxay to Khammouane. The 147-kilometer section from Thakhek to the border crosses Thakhek, Mahaxay, Yommalat and Boualapha districts.
Construction of the project is now underway, and the Laos section is expected to finish by 2030.
