Fourth Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge

Fourth Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge
Carries Motor vehicles
Crosses Mekong River, Thai-Lao Border
Locale Wiang Chiang Khong, Chiang Rai Province
Ban Houayxay, Bokèo Province
Characteristics
Design box girder bridge
Total length 480 metres (1,570 ft)
Width 14.7 m
History
Constructed by CR5-KT Group of China and Krung Thon Engineering of Thailand
Opened December 11, 2013

The Fourth Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge (Thai: สะพานมิตรภาพ ไทย-ลาว แห่งที่ 4,  [sàpʰaːn míttràpʰâːp tʰaj laːw hɛ̀ŋ tʰîː sìː]; Lao: ຂົວມິດຕະພາບ ລາວ-ໄທ, [kʰǔə mittapʰâːp láːw tʰaj]) is a highway bridge over the Mekong River that links the Chiang Khong District of Thailand and Ban Houayxay in Laos.[1] The bridge opened to the public on December 11, 2013.[2][3] The bridge was the last section of Asia Highway 3 to be built.

Size and location

The bridge is 630 meters long (with a main span of 480 meters) and is 14.7 meters wide.[2][4] It is located about 10 kilometers from Amphoe Chiang Khong (Chiang Khong District), in the northeastern part of Chiang Rai Province, in northern Thailand, and about 12 kilometers from Ban Houayxay, the capital of Bokeo Province, in northwestern Laos.

North of the bridge, a 6-km service road connects the bridge to Laotian highway R3A.[2] In the south, a 3-km service road connects the bridge to the Chiang Khong-Thoen Highway and Route 1129 in Thailand.[2]

History

The bridge was jointly financed by the governments of Thailand, Laos and China, along with the Asia Development Bank, to boost trade and development of the Greater Mekong Subregion.[2] About 1,900 million Baht was budgeted for the project.

On December 12, 2012, a ceremony marking the joining of the two sides of the bridge was held in Houayxay, Laos.[5] A year later, on December 12, 2013, the bridge was officially opened at a ceremony presided over by Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.[2]

See also

References

External links

Coordinates: 20°17′N 100°25′E / 20.283°N 100.417°E / 20.283; 100.417

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Monday, February 22, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.