Hinheup-Meuangfeuang road upgrade almost 60 percent complete

A 130-km road linking Meun district in Vientiane province to Paklai district in Xayaboury province will provide a convenient shortcut for motorists travelling between the two provinces when the ongoing upgrade is complete.
Work on the road began in 2013 and was initially scheduled to finish in 2020 but funding difficulties are expected to delay completion until 2022.

At present the upgrade is 58 percent complete.
The road runs between the Hinheup district junction and Meuangfeuang district and on to Xanakham and Meun districts in Vientiane province, then links to Road No.11 in Meun district from where it goes to Paklai district in Xayaboury province.
Director of the Public Works and Transport Department in Vientiane province, Mr Soumontha Somchanmavong, told Vientiane Times on Wednesday “Currently, the project is 58 percent complete and we have laid asphalt on 40 kilometres.”
“The contractor, Heuangsy Bridge & Road Construction Co., Ltd., is continuing to lay asphalt in Meuangfeuang district. We are struggling with financial issues but the contractor is still carrying out work,” he said.
The entire project is expected to cost about 1,300 billion kip, funded by the government. The completed road will have two layers of asphalt and two to four traffic lanes.
It will be 8-9 metres wide in rural areas and 21 metres wide when passing through towns, and will have traffic lights, sidewalks and drainage.
The upgrade will provide residents of Hinheup, Meuangfeuang, Xanakham and Meun districts with much better travel conditions. The new road will also enable motorists to travel more easily between Road No.11 in Vientiane province and Paklai district in Xayaboury province.

By Phomphong Laoin
(Latest Update February 25, 2020)