450 Year Road nears completion

Construction of the 450 Year Road, built to celebrate the 450th anniversary of Vientiane as the capital of Laos, is now 80 percent complete.

Speaking yesterday, director of Douangchaluen Development Construction Company Ltd, Mr Khamplay Silaza said the project was making fine progress and is running on schedule.

“It will be finished in time for the celebrations to be held at the end of this year,” he said.

“We’ve completed 4km of concrete paving and installation of electricity poles, as well as decorative landscaping and flower-planting. We’re now continuing to pave the remainder of the road.”

He said construction was temporarily halted while the 25th SEA Games took place in Vientiane last December so that vehicles could use the road to avoid traffic congestion.

The road is now closed to the public and is expected to reopen again in October.

The six-lane road, which will link the Dongdok area to the Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge in Dongphousy village, Hadxayfong district, has a total length of 20.3km.

The total cost of construction is estimated at more than US$37.5 million.

The new road is one of 21 focal projects that have been undertaken to prepare for the anniversary celebrations.

The projects included the construction of the new national stadium, golf course, the embankment project along the Mekong River, restoration of Sisaket Museum, improvements to four markets in Vientiane and reconstruction of the old city pillar.

Other projects include a new road linking Savang to Dongdok village through Phongtong village; and another linking Phongtong to Phonphanao village.

The paving of That Luang Square is now complete and the construction of Xaysettha Park is making good progress in the lead-up to the anniversary event.

The celebrations will be the first time a commemoration of Vientiane as the nation’s capital has been observed.

The event will acknowledge the capital’s development and the devotion and hard work of past generations who have sacrificed their blood to defend and advance the city.

Vientiane was named the capital of the Lane Xang Kingdom in 1560 by King Xaysetthathirath when he moved the capital from Luang Prabang.

Source: Vientiane Times
By Panyasith Thammavongsa
January 28, 2010