Vientiane Times
Link to sea moves on step closer
Thursday, February 26, 2004
PHONEKEO VORAKHOUN
ROAD No 9 will enable the Lao PDR to become a transit country in the future. It will also provide an opportunity for the people in this sub-region to communicate, trade and visit each other, Minister of Communication, Transport, Post and Construction, Mr Bouathong Vonglokham said at the hand-over ceremony of phase two of the National Road No 9 on Tuesday.
The second 60km phase of the Japanese-funded project to improve National Road No 9 stretches between Phalanxay to Phin districts, Savannakhet province and is now open for public use.
Japanese Ambassador Hashimoto Itsuo Officially handed over the completed section of the road to Mr. Bouathong and Mr Bouathong transferred the road to the governor of Savannakhet province, Mr Sileua Bounkham, who will lead the local authorities and local people use and maintain this road.
Deputy Prime Minister Dr Thongloun Sisoulith was also on hand to witness the event. This section cost about 3.2 billion yen and was constructed by Hazama corporation working with consultant Katahira and Engineers International.
The first phase of the improvement, the 73km stretch linking Xeno to Phalanxay, was opened in December, 2002. The first phase cost about 4 billion yen. When complete Road No. 9 will be 211km long. The Japanese government has funded some 133km of this, from Xeno to Phin districts. The Lao Government has received a loan from the Asian Development Bank for the stretch running to the Vietnamese border and now this section is under construction by a Vietnamese company. It is expected to be completed in April this year.
Road No 9 is an important national road linking Road 13 South to Vietnam . It is considered by the Government as strategic route for the overall socio-economic development of the country and will be benefit to local people and ethnic groups who will use this roat to access, trade and transport their products to the urban markets.
The Project for Improvement of National Road No 9 started in 2000. It was designed to international standards and includes paving with a double surface of asphalt concrete. “National Road No 9 and the Second International Mekong Bridge (which should officially start construction next month form a strategically important route, not only for Laos but also as an East-West Economic Corridor linking the sub-region,” Mr Bouathong said.
The improvement of Road No 9 will support the Government's transit policy and link to a planned second international bridge across the Mekong River between Savannakhet and Mukdaharn province of Thailand .
Local people said that since this project had been established, there had been more people trafficking in this area, but they had also had many good ideas on ways to earn money from this development. The provision guesthouse services seems to be one option for the local people in Phin districts.
One owner of a guesthouse said that now there were more and more people traveling on Road No 9, so she had decided to expand her guesthouse to cater for more guests. Now there are three guesthouses and one hotel in Phin district. The people who are living along Road No 9 also believe that this will bring them many advantages.
“The Government and the people of Japan have continuously and increasingly helped the Government and people of the Lao PDR in many sectors, especially with assistance in the development of infrastructure,” Mr Bouathong added.
Its significant assistance had come in the form of the project for constructing permanent bridges along Road No 13 South and the Nippon Bridge across the Mekong River in Pakse, Champasak province. The new passenger terminal and the Air Control Tower in Wattay International Airport , water supply and the new Sethathilath Hospital were among other contributions.
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