Completed Development AidData Chinese Aid

Chinese Government provides $20 million grant for Greater Mekong Subregion Fourth Thai-Lao Mekong Friendship Bridge Construction Project

$20M USD

Funder	China Ministry of Commerce
Recipient Organization	Government of Laos
Country	Lao People's Democratic Republic
Start Date	Nov 04, 2009
End Date	Mar 03, 2032
Duration	8,155 days
Number of Grantees	1
Roles	Recipient
Data Source	AidData Chinese Aid
Grant ID	`64760`

Grant Description

On November 4, 2009, the Chinese Government and the Government of Thailand signed a financing agreement for the $48.96 million Greater Mekong Subregion Fourth Thai-Lao Mekong Friendship Bridge Construction Project.

The Chinese Government agreed to provide a $20 million grant to the Government of Laos to cover part of its 50% financial contribution to the project. The Thai Government agreed to finance the remaining 50% of the project cost.

The purpose of the project was to build a highway bridge over the Mekong River that links Thailand’s Chiang Khong District (within Chiang Rai Province) with the city of Houayxay with the Lao province of Bokeo. The bridge is 630 meters long (with a main span of 480 meters) and is 14.7 meters wide.

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.

In the south, a three kilometer service road connects the bridge to the Chiang Khong-Thoen Highway and Route 1129 in Thailand.

CR5-KT Group, a joint venture of China Railway No. 5 Company and Krung Thon Engineering of Thailand, was the contractor responsible for implementation. Construction began in June 2010 and was expected to be completed in June 2013. On December 12, 2012, a ceremony marking the joining of the two sides of the bridge was held in Houayxay.

A project handover ceremony took place on December 10, 2013, and an opening ceremony for the bridge was held on December 11, 2013.

This project is also known as the Fourth Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge Construction Project and the Kunming-Bangkok Highway Mekong Bridge Project.

📋 Staff Comments

The Chinese project title is 援老挝跨湄公河大桥项目. The Lao project title is ຂົວມິດຕະພາບ ລາວ-ໄທ ແຫ່ງທີສີ່. Though some sources indicate that the Government of Laos used some of its own funding to support this project, other sources suggest that the Chinese Government covered the Government of Laos's entire contribution to the project.

📚 Sources & References

Fourth Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge
Fourth Thai-Lao Mekong Friendship Bridge
The Fourth Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge Linking with Road R3A, สะพานมิตรภาพไทย–ลาว 4 (เชียงของ–ห้วยทราย)
昆曼公路清孔—会晒大桥合龙
驻老挝使馆临时代办吴志武出席援老项目仪式
中国援助的昆曼公路湄公河大桥项目融资协议签署
驻老挝大使关华兵出席援老会晒跨湄公河大桥项目移交仪式
援老挝昆曼公路跨湄公河大桥项目签署交接证书
援老挝跨湄公河大桥项目举行合龙仪式 Loan applications and disbursements are still being received and processed as the projects continue to evolve. Ongoing monitoring and evaluation are in place to ensure project continuity.