The work on a fifth bridge linking Laos and Thailand across the Mekong river has begun after a construction agreement was signed in December 2020. The bridge, which will take 36 months to build, will connect Bolikhamxay province in Laos to Thailand’s north-eastern province of Bueng Kan. The total cost of construction is estimated at $130.3 million, of which Laos will be responsible for about $46.13 million. When the bridge is completed in 2023 it will enable Bolikhamxay to become another regional trade hub and transit route for Laos, Thailand and Vietnam over a distance of 150 km.
