The Vientiane Capital bus station construction project, which began in 2015, remains incomplete despite plans to be ready for use in 2018.
Chitchareun Construction was awarded the concession for the project in 2015, valued at USD 47.5 million. The company received a 70-year concession from the government with the option to renew for a further 20 years, according to a report in the Vientiane Times.
According to the concession, the project was initially scheduled for completion within three years and was to be open for public use in 2018.
A report by KPL News at the time suggested that the bus station was supposed to consist of two zones, a 5-story building and a 12-story building including the bus depot, offices for rent, a supermarket, restaurant, and Vientiane City Viewpoint.
In 2017, an announcement was made that the bus station project was delayed due to a change in the design.
The bus station was designed by Japanese architectural and engineering firm, Nikken Sekkei, with local firm and concession-holder Chitchareun undertaking construction.
Director of Chitchareun Construction Company, Mr. Somvang Vongvilay, told the Vientiane Times in an interview published in 2015 that half of the 12-story building would be allocated for parking to respond to the growing number of vehicles in the capital.
There are currently more than sixty buses utilizing the bus station site, including those running across the border to Thailand. The buses park at a side street nearby while they await completion of this project.
No further news has been provided regarding the expected completion date.
