The third Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge across the Mekong river is now 99 per cent complete and will be officially opened on Nov 11, Nakhon Phanom governor Roengsak Mahawinijchaimontree said on Tuesday.
Mr Roengsak said this after a meeting of Thai and Lao highway officials to discuss the opening of the bridge linking Nakhon Phanom and Khammouane provinces.
The construction of the bridge began on May 26, 2009. Italian-Thai Development Plc was contracted to complete the construction of the bridge in 900 days at a cost of 1,723 million baht, with the bill paid by the Thai government.
The bridge connects Ban Hom in tambon Artsamart of Nakhon Phanom’s Muang district with Ban Veun Tai, 13 kilometres South of Thakhek town in Khammouane province of Laos.
It spans 780 metres across the Mekong river and the entire length iof the project is 5.2 kilometres including exit and entrance ramps.
Nakhon Phanom province has settled on Nov 11 – or 11/11/2011 – as an auspicious day for the official opening of the bridge, which will link Thailand with roads through Laos to Vietnam and southern China.
Source: http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/259700/3rd-thai-lao-bridge-opens-11-11-2011
