The First Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge (Thai: สะพานมิตรภาพ ไทย-ลาว แห่งที่ 1, pronounced[sā.pʰāːnmít.trā.pʰâːptʰājlāːwhɛ̀ŋtʰîːnɯ̀ŋ]; Lao: ຂົວມິດຕະພາບ ລາວ-ໄທ ແຫ່ງທຳອິດ, pronounced[kʰǔa̯mīt.tā.pʰâːpláːwtʰájhɛ̄ŋtʰámǐt]) is a bridge over the Mekong, connecting Nong Khai Province and the city of Nong Khai in Thailand with Vientiane Prefecture in Laos; the city of Vientiane is approximately 20km (12mi) from the bridge. With a length of 1,170 meters (0.73mi), the bridge has two 3.5m (11ft 6in)-wide road lanes, two 1.5m (4ft 11in)-wide footpaths and a single 1,000mm (3ft3+3⁄8in) gauge railway line in the middle, straddling the narrow central reservation.
The bridge was designed and built by Australian companies as a demonstration of their ability to complete major infrastructure projects in Southeast Asia. The concept design of a balanced cantilever bridge was proposed by Bruce Ramsay of VSL with the final design carried out by Maunsell consulting engineers.[citation needed] It was built by John Holland.[3]
Traffic on the bridge drives on the left, as in Thailand, while traffic in Laos drives on the right. The changeover at the Lao end, just before the border post, is controlled by traffic lights.
A shuttle bus service operates across the bridge, between the Lao and Thai border posts.
Bicycles and tricycles can travel on either the road or the footpath, while pedestrians can walk directly on the footpath.
A meter gauge rail track from Nong Khai station runs along the central reservation of the bridge. Road traffic is stopped when a train is crossing.
On 20 March 2004, an agreement between the Thai and Lao governments was signed to extend the railway to Thanaleng Railway Station in Laos, about 3.5km (2.2mi) from the bridge. This was the first railway link to Laos (but not the first railway, as a short portage line once existed). The Thai government agreed to finance the line through a combination of grant and loan.[4] Construction formally began on 19 January 2007.[5] Test trains began running on 4 July 2008.[4] Formal inauguration occurred on 5 March 2009.[6]
A US$50 million loan was also reportedly received from the Thai government for the extension. Construction was originally slated to begin in December 2010, and Lao railway officials had confirmed as late as September 2010 that plans would go ahead. The extension, which would have taken an estimated three years to complete, would have stretched 9km (5.6mi) from Thanaleng to a new main Khamsavath Station[8] The station will be completed by June 2022 and open 2023.
Since February 2010 the Eastern and Oriental Express crosses the Mekong via the bridge into Laos.[9] There is currently no connection to the China-Laos Railway but the standard gauge line circles the north east of Vientiane to a depot just 2 km from the Friendship Bridge. A new bridge is proposed from this point to join the proposed Thai High speed line at Nong Khai station just south of the Mekong.[10]
"Archived copy"(PDF). Archived from the original(PDF) on 14 September 2009. Retrieved 21 January 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)