Construction of Hanoi - Vientiane expressway through Thanh Thuy border gate

(Baonghean.vn) – On the morning of August 4, in Vinh City, a working delegation from the Vietnamese Ministry of Transport and the Lao Ministry of Public Works and Transport held a meeting to agree on a plan to build the Vientiane – Hanoi expressway.

Overview of the working session

Attending the meeting were comrades: HE Lattanamany KHOUNNIVONG - Deputy Minister of Public Works and Transport of Laos; HE Khampheuy KEOKINALY - Vice Chairman of the Vietnam - Laos Cooperation Committee, along with representatives of the Embassies of the two countries and officials of the Lao Ministry of Public Works and Transport.

On the Vietnamese side, there were comrades: Le Dinh Tho - Deputy Minister of Transport; Nguyen Manh Hung - Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Vietnam to Laos and representatives of the Government Office and central ministries and branches.

Nghe An province had comrade Le Ngoc Hoa - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee with leaders of the Department of Transport and other departments and branches.

Lao delegation at the working session

Vietnam and Nghe An delegation at the meeting.

Before the working session, the working delegations of the two Ministries of the two countries conducted a field survey on the Thanh Thuy border gate route (Thanh Chuong - Nghe An) connecting with Vietnam's road systems and planning to connect the expressway from Hanoi (Vietnam) to Vientiane (Laos).

Before the working session, officials of the two countries conducted a field survey at Thanh Thuy border gate (Thanh Chuong - Nghe An).

After studying the options and conducting a field survey, at the meeting, the leaders of the Vietnamese Ministry of Transport and the Lao Ministry of Public Works and Transport agreed to choose the option of building the Hanoi - Vientiane expressway with a planned scale of 6 lanes, phase 1 will build 4 lanes, about 725 km long (381 km in Laos), ensuring vehicles can travel at 80 - 120 km/h. The expected investment level is over 3.7 billion USD, not including the sections already built in Vietnam, and in Laos alone, it is expected to invest about 3.1 billion USD. Regarding capital, the two countries will coordinate and call for ODA investment (expected from Japan), effectively integrating the project.

Connecting route: Vientiane - Pac Xan - Thanh Thuy (Nghe An) - Hanoi. If construction is decided, it is expected that the route will be put into operation in the period of 2020 - 2025.

Route map of Hanoi (Vietnam) - Vientiane (Laos) expressway

Officials from Vietnam and Laos attended the meeting.

The two Ministries basically agreed and reaffirmed the determination of the Politburo and the Governments of Vietnam and Laos in building the Hanoi – Vientiane expressway. When this route is connected, it will open up many prospects in promoting the socio-economic development of both countries.

After this meeting, the two ministries will closely coordinate with the localities where the route passes through to report to the Governments of the two countries to decide on the implementation of the road construction plan. The two ministries agreed to submit it to the Governments of the two countries in mid-August 2016.

Nguyen Son - Tien Hung