BANGKOK, Dec 20 (TNA) - The second Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge -- this one linking the Lao province of Savannakhet and northeastern Thailand's Mukdahan province -- officially opened Wednesday.
HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand and Lao Vice President Bounnhang Vorachit jointly presided over the opening ceremony on Wednesday morning which was witnessed by the Prime Ministers of the two countries and diplomatic corps.
The 2nd Friendship Bridge is aimed at facilitating transportation, trade, investment and tourism activities for countries in the Mekong Sub-region.
Bridge construction began on March 21, 2004. The two governments raised a loan of Bt2.588 billion from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation to finance the construction. Funds spent on building the bridge alone amounted to Bt1.585 billion.
The bridge has two traffic lanes 12 metres in width and 1,600 metres long. It is part of the land transport development plan of the East-West economic corridor running through Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar.
Previously, the first Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge over the Mekong linking the Thai province of Nong Khai and Lao capital Vientiane was opened in 1994. (TNA)-E004
source : atna.mcot.net
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