New 43-kilometre road from Chiang Rai to Phayao to boost border trade between Thailand, Laos and Myanmar

Construction News Laos Myanmar
A fisherman pulls his net from the Mekong river in Wiang Kaen, a district in the northern Thai province of Chiang Rai bordering Laos. Photo: AFP/Chrisophe Archambault

New 43-kilometre road from Chiang Rai to Phayao to boost border trade between Thailand, Laos and Myanmar

The construction of a 43-kilometre road from Chiang Rai to Phayao, expected to ease border trade between Thailand, Laos and Myanmar will likely be completed next year.

The Department of Rural Roads says construction of the Highway 1020 subsidiary in the North is 20% complete. The road begins in Phayao’s Chun district and stretches to Thoeng district in Chiang Rai province.

About 8.5 kilometres will be an expansion of lanes on existing roads while the rest will be newly constructed.

The road will incorporate a drainage system, safety features, traffic lights and street lamps along the route. The total cost is 1.9 billion baht.

The department said the road would facilitate cross-province transport in northern Thailand and cross-border transport between Thailand, Laos and Myanmar which would ultimately lead to southern China.

The road will also connect with the fourth Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge in Chiang Khong district of Chiang Rai. The cross-border link will benefit freight transport and tourism in the region.

Source: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2494944/new-road-to-boost-border-trade