The Neighboring Countries Economic Development Cooperation Agency (NEDA) recently followed up on the progress of a road construction project in Lao PDR.

Officials from NEDA traveled to the construction site where a road linking Luang Prabang and Hongsa is being built. With the help of the Thai government, Lao PDR will be able to complete the 2 billion baht project by 2018.

Once finished, NEDA Board Chairman Warakorn Samakoses said people will be able to commute from Nan province to Luang Prabang in less than 3 hours. With the new road in place, he said it will also be easier for Thailand to connect with Vietnam’s Hanoi, and China’s Jinghong.

Following the inspection, he said there remain some risk areas along the 114-kilometer road, not to mention the complex procedure travelers have to go through before crossing the border. He pointed out that Thailand and Lao PDR will need to convene a meeting to discuss possible solutions to these problems.