Second Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge

Second Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge

สะพานมิตรภาพ ไทย-ลาว แห่งที่ 2 (Thai)
ຂົວມິດຕະພາບ ລາວ-ໄທ ແຫ່ງທີສອງ (Lao)
Second Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge; สะพานมิตรภาพ ไทย-ลาว แห่งที่ 2 (Thai); ຂົວມິດຕະພາບ ລາວ-ໄທ ແຫ່ງທີສອງ (Lao);
	Second Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge, seen from Mukdahan
Coordinates	16°36′04″N 104°44′09″E / 16.6011°N 104.7358°E
Carries	AH16; ( Route 239)
Crosses	Mekong
Locale	Mukdahan, Thailand - Savannakhet, Laos
Characteristics
Design	Two-span extradosed bridge (Concrete box girder deck, concrete pylons)
Material	Prestressed concrete
Total length	2,702 m (1.7 mi)
Traversable?	yes
No. of lanes	2
History
Construction start	2004
Construction end	2006
Construction cost	2.5 billion THB
Opened	2007
Inaugurated	19 December 2006
Location

The Second Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge (Thai: สะพานมิตรภาพ ไทย-ลาว แห่งที่ 2, pronounced [sā.pʰāːn mít.trā.pʰâːp tʰāj lāːw hɛ̀ŋ tʰîː sɔ̌ːŋ]; Lao: ຂົວມິດຕະພາບ ລາວ-ໄທ ແຫ່ງທີສອງ, pronounced [kʰǔa̯ mīt.tā.pʰâːp láːw tʰáj hɛ̄ŋ tʰīː sɔ̌ːŋ]) over the Mekong connects Mukdahan Province in Thailand with Savannakhet in Laos. The bridge is 1600 meters (1.0 mi) long and 12 meters (39 ft) wide, with two traffic lanes.^[1]

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.

History

Box girder sections being constructed

Bridge construction began on 21 March 2004. Supports and spans were constructed on shore, then moved out onto pylons in the river by crane.^{[citation needed]}

The total cost was about 2.5 billion baht (US$70 million), funded largely by a Japanese loan. An opening ceremony was held on 19 December 2006, and the bridge opened to the general public on 9 January 2007.