Fourth Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge

The Fourth Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge (Thai: สะพานมิตรภาพ ไทย-ลาว แห่งที่ 4, pronounced [sā.pʰāːn mít.trā.pʰâːp tʰāj lāːw hɛ̀ŋ tʰîː sìː]; Lao: ຂົວມິດຕະພາບ ລາວ-ໄທ ແຫ່ງທີ 4, pronounced [kʰǔa̯ mīt.tā.pʰâːp láːw tʰáj hɛ̄ŋ tʰíː sīː]) is a highway bridge over the Mekong River that links the Chiang Khong District, Chiang Rai Province of Thailand and Houayxay in Laos.^[1] The bridge opened to the public on 11 December 2013.^[2][3] The bridge was the last section of Asian Highway 3 to be built.

Fourth Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge สะพานมิตรภาพ ไทย-ลาว แห่งที่ ๔ ຂົວມິດຕະພາບ ລາວ-ໄທ ແຫ່ງທີສີ່
Coordinates	20°17′N 100°25′E
Carries	Motor vehicles
Crosses	Mekong River
Locale	Wiang Chiang Khong, Chiang Rai Province Houayxay, Bokèo Province
Characteristics
Design	Box girder bridge
Total length	480 metres (1,570 ft)
Width	14.7 m
History
Constructed by	CR5-KT Group of China and Krung Thon Engineering of Thailand
Opened	11 December 2013; 10 years ago (2013-12-11)
Location

Traffic on the bridge drives on the right, as in Laos, while traffic in Thailand drives on the left; the lane-change is on the Thai side.

Size and location

The bridge is 630 meters long (with a main span of 480 meters) and is 14.7 meters wide.^[2][4] It is about 10 kilometers from Chiang Khong District in northeastern Chiang Rai Province, in northern Thailand, and about 12 kilometers from Houayxay, the capital of Bokeo Province, northwestern Laos.

North of the bridge, a six kilometer service road connects the bridge to Laotian highway R3A.^[2] In the south, a three kilometer service road connects the bridge to the Chiang Khong-Thoen Highway and Route 1129 in Thailand.^[2]

History

The bridge was jointly financed by the governments of Thailand, Laos, and China – with Chinese and Thai construction firms responsible for the construction and the costs shared between Thailand and China. The project was hoped to boost trade and development of the Greater Mekong Subregion.^[2] About 1,900 million baht was budgeted for the project.

On 12 December 2012, a ceremony marking the joining of the two sides of the bridge was held in Houayxay, Laos.^[5] A year later, on 12 December 2013, the bridge was officially opened at a ceremony presided over by Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.^[2]

Chiang Khong was designated as a Special Economic Zone in 2015.^[6]

See also

• First Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge
• Second Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge
• Third Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge
• Fifth Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge
• Sixth Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge
• Seventh Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge^[7]
• Kunming–Bangkok Expressway

References

1. "Joint cabinet retreat scheduled for the weekend". The Nation. 15 May 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
2. Wanwisa Ngamsangchaikit, "4th Friendship bridge opens" TTR Weekly Archived 2015-02-08 at the Wayback Machine 2013-12-12
3. Des Ball and Jessada Burinsuchat, "New Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge across the Mekong" Archived 8 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine 2013-08-21
4. "Thai-Lao Friendship Bridges no.3 and 4". Bangkok Post. 16 February 2011. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
5. "The closure ceremony of Houayxay Bridge has been held Dec 12 2012". InKunming. 12 December 2012. Archived from the original on 20 April 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
6. Na Thalang, Jeerawat (22 May 2016). "Languishing by a bridge over a troubled border". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
7. Plan Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge.

20°12′49.2″N 100°27′15.1″E