Laos to adopt ‘K-road technology’ for unpaved road improvement

The Department of Roads under the Lao Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MPWT), led by Director General Sisouphanh Chansavat, and the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT, President Park Sun-kyu) announced on September 15 that they have secured Phase 2 of the “Project for Self-Reliance in Road Construction and Management in Laos”, following the completion of Phase 1.
Phase 2 is valued at KRW5.4 billion (approx. US$3.7 million). Combined with the KRW5.4 billion Phase 1 budget, total investment in Laos’ unpaved road improvement programme now stands at KRW10.8 billion (approx. US$7.4 million).
Over the next four years, through to 2030, KICT plans to expand the on-the-ground application of unpaved road improvement technology and strengthen Laos’ capacity to build and manage its own roads independently.

In Phase 1, KICT helped revise Laos’ national road construction standards to better suit local conditions and provided construction-material production facilities, construction equipment, and quality-testing equipment to support field demonstrations of unpaved road improvements.
Notably, the national construction standards – previously available only in English – were revised into a bilingual English–Lao format, improving accessibility for local Lao engineers.
Under Phase 2, the project will diversify unpaved road improvement methods and expand the demonstration area beyond Vientiane to outlying hub cities.
It will verify the applicability of each method according to regional road and climate conditions, and analyse the improvement effects scientifically and objectively to build a database.
The data collected will be used to strengthen the climate resilience of roads against extreme weather events such as heavy rainfall. The project will also help the Lao government improve and manage its roads on its own – rather than relying solely on ODA support – by working with state-owned enterprises under the MPWT (SECC, LTEC) to transfer technology and strengthen hands-on training, and by partnering with the National University of Laos on undergraduate education programmes to nurture the next generation of road engineering talent.
In addition, the project will pursue follow-on cooperation with multilateral development banks (MDBs) to sustain and expand the impact of Korea’s ODA outcomes.
The MPWT and KICT held a kick-off meeting in Laos on September 15 to mark the official launch of Phase 2.
The meeting was attended by some 20 representatives from key partner organisations, including MPWT Department of Roads Director General Sisouphanh Chansavat, state-owned construction enterprises, the national construction testing laboratory, and the National University of Laos, laying the groundwork for bilateral cooperation.
“Phase 1 established road standards suited to Lao conditions and laid the foundation for unpaved road improvement technology. In Phase 2, we are focusing on expanding the demonstration area, verifying results scientifically, and strengthening local capacity to build a foundation for technological self-reliance,” said Lee Kang-hun, KICT’s project manager.
“We will work to help Laos build a sustainable system to improve and manage its own roads, and to support the country’s economic growth through better road infrastructure.”
This project is carried out with support from Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport under its Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme, as the “Validation Project for Unpaved Road Improvement to Enhance Sustainable Road Mobility and Safety in Laos (2026–2030)”.
It is jointly implemented by the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT), Dokyeong Construction Co., Ltd., Daeshin Plant Industries Co., Ltd., and the Korea Institute of Construction Technology Education. Phase 1 of the project was carried out from 2021 to 2025.

By Advertorial Desk
 (Latest Update September 17, 2026)