Vientiane authorities design city plan for 450-Year Road

As the population of Vientiane is expected to more than double by 2030, authorities are designing urban planning and land use for development along the 450-Year Road.

The new city planning aims to accommodate the expansion of the Lao capital while ensuring sustainability and a liveable environment.

Vice Mayor of Vientiane Mr Keophilavanh Arphaylath was speaking at a meeting held in Vientiane last week which was attended by officials from the relevant sectors.

The Vice Mayor said the capital is currently being expanded into low-lying areas including marshes and he was concerned that the current town expansion may not be able to ensure a good environment for people in the future.

He said it was important to have the urban planning in place to serve as a guideline for development along the 450-Year Road on an area of over 5,700 hectares.

The 450-Year Road is designed as a new development town in the capital and the authorities are discussing how to deal with traffic, infrastructure development, flooding, drainage systems and investment along the road in order to create a livable town.

Vientiane currently has a population of 800,000 people and it is projected that the population will rise to 1.8 million people by 2030. Therefore it requires good city planning in response to the rising population in the capital.

The construction of the 450-Year Road was completed in 2010 to commemorate the 450th anniversary of Vientiane as the nation’s capital.

The six-lane road links the Dongdok area to the Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge in Dongphousy village, Hadxaifong district, with the total value of construction coming to about US$80 million.

The 20.3km road was part of the government’s policy to convert land into capital by reserving 50m of land on either side of the road for sale to cover the cost of construction.

Vientiane authorities purchased land along both sides of the road from local residents and set it aside for sale to businesses upon completion of the road.

Unfortunately not many development activities have taken place over the past four years due to ongoing land disputes between former landowners and local authorities. The problem arose after some former landowners affected by the road project did not accept the compensation offered by authorities.

Now the land issue has been resolved and authorities are waiting only for the detailed city plan before development projects can take place along the road.

The 450-Year Road was designed to cut seven kilometres off the journey between Dongdok and the Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge.

Since the road opened, motorists have been able to save time and money by using the road, which enables them to bypass the city centre.

The road was also built with a view to expanding the urban centre by encouraging businesses to move outside the city centre and thereby reduce congestion.

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By Somsack Pongkhao, Vientianetimes Newspaper
(Latest Update September 29, 2014)