Local road sections and bridges in Luang Prabang province damage assessed over 80 billion kip

Introduction: Local road sections and bridges in Luang Prabang province have been extensively damaged as a result of Typhoon Kalmaegi last week, with damage estimated at more than 80 billion kip.

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Story:A torrential downpour caused by Typhoon Kalmaegi hitting Luang Prabang province on Wednesday morning resulted in flooding at several locations around the province.

Typhoon Kalmaegi hit Luang Prabang, Xieng Khuang and Vientiane provinces after it struck China’s south last Tuesday and headed on to Vietnam and Laos. Some houses and temples saw the water reach almost to roof level while numerous streets were inundated with flood water up to one and a half metres deep.

Sections of roads and bridges crossing rivers to link villages in the northern part of the country have been severely damaged from the torrential downpour and flash flooding.

Such is the scale of the damage, the provincial office of Public Works and Transport is yet to identify all locations where road and bridge infrastructure has been affected, but the two districts of Luang Prabang and Phoukhoun have suffered the worst.

Numerous roads that were closed by landslides have been reopened after emergency excavation work, while concrete bridges crossing rivers to villages have been temporarily rebuilt utilising timber cut from the forest.

Official said, Permanent restoration work on these roads and bridges is planned to commence after the rainy season ends in the middle of next month following the end of Buddhist Lent
A bridge that was damaged in Phonxay district because of flash flooding the year before last has still not been properly repaired because the province has yet to receive the funding.

Some sections of Road No. 13 North and National Road No. 7 in the province have not been assessed by provincial authorities as these are the responsibility of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport.

This year, Laos has been impacted by major floods on two occasions. The first was seen at the end of June into early August, while the second flood occurred towards the end of August to earlier this month. A preliminary assessment of the damage put the losses at a cost of almost 35 billion kip.

Source: Lao National Television News in English
Broadcast on September 25, 2014