Laos plans interlinked roads

The Laos Government is planning to build a network of six interlinked roads that will cost in the order of US$3.98 billion. The Laos Ministry of Public Works and Transport says that the network will comprise some existing roads that will be upgraded to meet Asean highway standards, as well as new road sections. In total this new network will measure some 2,374km long. One of the six new highways will be built using the routes of the existing Road No 7 and Road No R3, connecting the province of Bokeo and the Laos-China border. Another will be a highway linking Xayaboury's Ngeun district with the Laos-Vietnam border, while a third highway will use the route of Road No 8 from the province of Borikhamxay province to the Laos-Vietnam border. The fourth highway will be built along Road No 9, between the third Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge in the province of Savannakhet and the Laos-Vietnam border. The fifth highway will follow the route of the existing Road No 13, heading north from Vientiane to the Laos-China border. Meanwhile the sixth highway will follow the route of the existing Road No 13, heading south from Vientiane to the Laos-Cambodia border.