Construction of Chiang Khong bridge across Mekong begins in March

BANGKOK: -- Construction of the new Chiang Khong bridge across the Mekong River, as part of the North-South Economic Corridor project linking Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and China, is expected to start in March, according to Veera Ruangsooksriwong, director-general of Thailand’s Highways Department.

Mr. Veera said the construction will take 30 months to complete and will be handled by a Thai-Chinese joint venture construction firm called the CR5-KT group which won the bidding. Four Thai-Chinese joint venture first contested the bidding process, he said.

Total costs of construction are Bt1.624 billion, with the Thai and Chinese governments each paying half. Thailand will pay an added Bt45.5 million for work supervision.

The 11.6 kilometre two-lane bridge will link Chiang Khong district of Thailand’s northernmost province of Chiang Rai with Laos’ Huayxai district in Bokeo province.

When complete, the bridge will help promote trade and investment, facilitate transportation, and boost tourism between Chiang Rai and Kunming, capital of Southwest China’s Yunnan province.

-- TNA 2010-01-10

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And currently, Laos charge a hefty amount for Thai trucks into and out of their country. At 10k baht a trip. This is true highway robbery.

China needs this to facilitate the movement of products that are produced in the land-locked areas of China. Hopefully, Laos and Thailand can use this as a bargaining chip when dealing with China over its plans for the Mekhong river.

>10km long, and only two-lane?

This seems very strange. If it is for use by commercial trucks (assuming 40ft container trucks) then there should be a minimum of two lanes each way - more likely three.

If there is not the traffic to justify a dual-carriageway, then is there sufficient to justify the bridge?

Does anyone know if the Chinese part of the Kunming-Bangkok superhighway is completed yet? I guess this is part of that.