Lao authorities maintain that Frienship Bridge 2, the second Lao-Thai bridge linking Laos’ Savannakhet province and Thailand’s Mukdahan, will be completed as schedule and will be officially operating at the end of 2006. The Lao government is looking at opening the bridge for use by December 2nd, when the Communist nation celebrates its 31st anniversary.
The bridge is now over 80% completed. After a deadly accident in mid-2005 in which a crane lifting concrete slabs crashed onto the bridge, killing two construction crew and injuring many others, construction company officials have put more time and money into it in order to accelerate construction.
Listen to our Laos Today report for further details.