WITH completion of the Chiang Khong-Houayxay Bridge in June connecting Thailand and Laos, capacity of the highway linking China's Kunming city to Bangkok will be improved, Xinhua reports.
Opened in 2008, the 1,807-kilometre Kunming-Bangkok highway is an important artery between China and ASEAN countries. But the highway is separated by the MekongRiver at Lao-Thai border city Houayxay. Vehicles have to take ferry to cross the river, thus severely hindering smooth flow of traffic.
In 2007, China, Laos and Thailand reached an agreement on jointly building a bridge on the Mekong river. China and Thailand each invested 50 per cent of the bridge. Construction started in June 2010 and is scheduled to be finished on June 10 this year. This will give a boost in capacity and convenience of the Kunming-Bangkok highway. Asian Shipper News |