Recently, the Laos Vientiane-Pakse Expressway route selection project undertaken by Henan Provincial Transportation Planning and Design Institute Co., Ltd. received approval from the Lao Prime Minister's Office: the expressway route plan selected by the company and the preliminary cost estimate were agreed.

Zhang Xiaowei, Dean of the International Engineering Institute of Henan Transportation Planning and Design Institute Co., Ltd., introduced that the highway involved in the plan connects the Lao capital Vientiane and the southern central city of Pakse. It is an important section of the Lao North-South Expressway. The total length is about 578.6 kilometers. Approximately US$5.1 billion.

The Lao Ministry of Public Works and Transport previously reviewed the Vientiane-Pakse Expressway route selection project and finally determined the route plan designed by Chinese companies. On June 7, 2021, the Lao Prime Minister's Office officially approved this plan.

Vientiane Pakse

According to previous news from Henan Transportation Planning and Design Institute Co., Ltd., the Vientiane-Pakse Expressway is classified as an expressway, two-way four-lane, a design speed of 100km/h, a lane width of 3.5m, a central partition width of 2.5m, and the left side The width of the curb is 0.75m, the width of the hard shoulder is 3m, the width of the soil shoulder is 0.75m, and the total width of the road is 25.5m. Ramp toll stations are set up.

Vientiane is the capital of Laos, the political, economic, and cultural center and largest city in the country, located on the middle reaches of the Mekong River. Pakse is the largest commercial city in the Xia Lao region of Laos, a waterway transportation hub, and the capital of Pakse Province. The city covers an area of about 10 square kilometers and has a population of more than 40,000. It is the third largest city in the country.

The implementation of this project can meet the growing traffic demand from central to southern Laos, make the Lao highway network an important part of the Asian Highway network, and promote the socio-economic growth of Laos and neighboring ASEAN countries. The plan of the Vientiane-Pakse Expressway has built a fast track for Laos’ north-south direction, and will surely inject strong impetus into accelerating economic and social development. It plays an important role in improving the transportation conditions and investment environment in Laos, promoting the development and utilization of resources, and speeding up the Lao people’s poverty alleviation and prosperity. Editor/Tian Zengpeng