Work begins on new highway through That Luang marsh
Work has begun on a 9.5km highway that will cut through That Luang marsh to link Sisattanak and Xaysettha districts.
Director of the Vientiane Public Works and Transport Department, Mr Dedsongkham Thammavong, told Vientiane Times on Monday that construction of the road is now underway in Xiengda village.
The highway will connect Donnokkhoum village in Sisattanak district to Donkoi village before going through the marsh to Xiengda village in Xaysettha district, and then onto the 450 Year Road.
“We expect the road will be completed in 2014, including a bridge crossing the marsh that will link to a road running between Xiengda and Donkoi villages,” Mr Dedsongkham said.
The Vientiane authorities are now laying the underlying dirt road and negotiating compensation payments with people whose land has been appropriated for the project.
The final layout of the highway may be changed before paving begins, Mr Dedsongkham said.
Vientiane authorities decided to build the new highway to expand urban development outwards and reduce traffic congestion in the city centre.
There are currently two roads linking Xiengda to the city centre, but the road running from the village to That Luang Market is muddy when it rains and dusty in the dry season. The other road, running between the T4 Road in Nonghai village to Xiengda village has the same problems.
These dirt roads have been temporarily covered with gravel to smooth out the surfaces.
The new highway is being built under the government’s policy to use some of the land on this route to build the road itself, and sell land on either side of the road to raise capital to cover the cost of construction. Some of the additional expenses involved in building the road will also be paid for by the government.
Construction will take part in three phases. The first phase will see the road connect Donnokkhoum and Donkoi villages, and this stretch will be 40 metres wide.
The second phase will link Donkoi and Xiengda villages with a stretch of road that will be 70 metres wide. The third section of the road will run from Xiengda village to the 450 Year Road and will be 40 metres wide.
