ADB to Help Vietnam, Laos to Upgrade Roads

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will extend $95 million to help Vietnam and Laos upgrade roads in their transport corridor, the state-run Vietnam News Agency said Nov 30. It’s necessary to improve the section running the Vietnam's central province of Thanh Hoa through Houaphanh province in northeastern Laos, Principal Transport Specialist in ADB's Southeast Asia Department Jeffrey Miller said.
The bank approved funding for the Second Northern Greater Mekong Subregion Transport Network Improvement Project on 340 kilometers of roads, which form part of a corridor stretching from Vietnam, through Laos, to Bangkok in Thailand. Once completed in June 2016, the project is expected to address maintenance and vehicle overloading problems which undermine road sector sustainability in the two countries, Miller noted. The project encompasses areas of high poverty in both countries and the road improvements will provide new economic opportunities and better access to health, education, and other social services for households, Miller added. ADB will provide a loan of $75 million from its Asian Development Fund for the Vietnamese Ministry of Transport and a grant of $20 million from the same source for the Lao Ministry of Public Works and Transport. (VNS Nov 30 p2)