The construction of the Vientiane-Vangvieng expressway is expected to begin in early 2018. This has come about after the governments of Laos and China signed a joint venture investment deal on the project in mid-November 2017. As per the agreement, China will hold a 95 per cent stake and the Lao government will hold the remaining 5 per cent in the project. The expected cost of the project stands at more than $1.2 billion to build the road, which will link Sikeuth village in Naxaithong district, Vientiane, to Vangvieng district in Vientiane province. The construction of the 113.5 km expressway will take about three years to complete. The new road, which will include a 679 metre tunnel at Phoupha Mountain, will be considerably shorter than the 156 km route that currently exists using Road No. 13 North. The project will be implemented on the build-operate-transfer (BOT) model.
