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First Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge

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A US$ 50 million loan was reportedly received from the Thai government for the extension. Construction was originally slated to begin in December 2010. Lao railway officials confirmed as late as September 2010 that plans would go ahead. The extension, which would have taken an estimated three years
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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
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line once existed. The Thai government agreed to finance the line through a combination of grant and loan. Construction began in January 2007. Test trains began running in July 2008. The formal inauguration occurred on 5 March 2009.
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The bridge is 1,170 meters (0.73 mi) long. It has two 3.5 m (11 ft 6 in)-wide road lanes, two 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in)-wide footpaths and a single
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to complete, would have stretched 9 km (5.6 mi) from Thanaleng to a new main Khamsavath Station. The station will be completed by June 2022, and open 2023.
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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.
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Bicycles and tricycles can travel on either the road or the footpath, while pedestrians can walk directly on the footpath.
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Opened on 8 April 1994, it was the first bridge across the lower Mekong, and the second on the full course of the Mekong.
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in Laos, about 3.5 km (2.2 mi) from the bridge. This was the first modern railway link to Laos, as a short
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In March 2004, an agreement between the Thai and Lao governments was signed to extend the railway to
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The official name of the bridge was changed, with the addition of "First" after the opening of the
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A shuttle bus service operates across the bridge, between the Lao and Thai border posts.
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A plaque in Laos, in Lao and English, commemorating the First Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge.
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crosses the Mekong via the bridge into Laos. There is currently no connection to the
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Laos and Thailand set to begin building railway extension into Vientiane
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A sign for the road rules change at the Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge.
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3.5 and 1.5 m (11 ft 6 in and 4 ft 11 in)
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In February 2006, approval of funding for the rail line from
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is approximately 20 km (12 mi) from the bridge.
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Up for the Challenge: The John Holland Story 1986 - 2016
229:[sā.pʰāːnmít.trā.pʰâːptʰājlāːwhɛ̀ŋtʰîːnɯ̀ŋ] 200: 192: 180: 175: 167: 159: 154: 146: 124: 114: 103: 64: 34: 366:The cost was about A$ 42 million, funded by the 934:Buildings and structures in Nong Khai province 246:[kʰǔamīt.tā.pʰâːpláːwtʰájhɛ̄ŋtʰám.ʔít] 339:might be 3,000 mm (9 ft 10 in) 8: 842:Video: RHN Hitachi Railcars, built in 1967 40: 31: 650: 648: 564:"The First Thai - Laos Friendship Bridge" 46: 555: 837:Video: journey, Nong Khai to Thanaleng 619:: CS1 maint: archived copy as title ( 612: 939:Buildings and structures in Vientiane 740:"France okays Thai-Laos railway link" 738:Saeung, Sopaporn (23 February 2006). 494:List of crossings of the Mekong River 244: 227: 7: 465:to Vientiane, was announced by the 524:Seventh Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge 25: 894:International bridges in Thailand 720:"Thai-Lao train service launched" 509:Fourth Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge 499:Second Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge 387:Second Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge 519:Sixth Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge 514:Fifth Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge 504:Third Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge 213:First Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge 150:First Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge 56: 36:First Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge 18:First Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge 816:Plan Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge 656:"Testing takes train into Laos" 899:Laos–Thailand border crossings 696:. 1 March 2007. Archived from 221:สะพานมิตรภาพ ไทย-ลาว แห่งที่ 1 42:สะพานมิตรภาพ ไทย-ลาว แห่งที่ ๑ 1: 889:Bridges over the Mekong River 693:Railway Gazette International 664:. 7 July 2008. Archived from 661:Railway Gazette International 832:Eastern and Oriental Express 478:Eastern and Oriental Express 238:ຂົວມິດຕະພາບ ລາວ-ໄທ ແຫ່ງທຳອິດ 163:1.17 km (3,800 ft) 48:ຂົວມິດຕະພາບ ລາວ-ໄທ ແຫ່ງທຳອິດ 929:Railway bridges in Thailand 919:International railway lines 568:Australian Embassy Thailand 378:engineers. It was built by 965: 944:Bridges completed in 1994 544:Kunming–Singapore railway 476:Since February 2010, the 467:French Development Agency 463:Thanaleng Railway Station 451:Thanaleng Railway Station 237: 220: 205: 55: 47: 41: 949:Greater Mekong Subregion 27:Bridge over Mekong River 641:. 2018. pp. 59/60. 539:Laos–Thailand relations 368:Government of Australia 273:. The Lao capital city 249:) is a bridge over the 924:Rail transport in Laos 865:17.87833°N 102.71556°E 781:Luxury Travel Magazine 443: 442:A train on the bridge. 422:The bridge is part of 409:Traffic on the bridge 406: 360: 534:Transport in Thailand 441: 428:Asian Highway Network 404: 358: 688:"Laos link launched" 601:on 14 September 2009 267:Vientiane Prefecture 141:Vientiane Prefecture 88:17.8783°N 102.7156°E 904:Bridges in Thailand 870:17.87833; 102.71556 861: /  84: /  805:. 9 February 2022. 745:2012-10-08 at the 482:China-Laos Railway 444: 411:drives on the left 407: 361: 255:Nong Khai Province 133:Nong Khai Province 914:Road-rail bridges 529:Transport in Laos 393:in January 2007. 389:further south at 209: 208: 93:17.8783; 102.7156 16:(Redirected from 956: 876: 875: 873: 872: 871: 866: 862: 859: 858: 857: 854: 819: 813: 807: 806: 799: 793: 792: 790: 788: 783:. 5 January 2010 773: 767: 762: 756: 736: 730: 729: 716: 710: 709: 707: 705: 684: 678: 677: 675: 673: 652: 643: 642: 631: 625: 624: 618: 610: 608: 606: 600: 594:. 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Retrieved 567: 558: 475: 471: 460: 448: 445: 421: 418: 415: 408: 397:Road traffic 384: 380:John Holland 376: 365: 362: 279: 212: 210: 196:4 April 1994 187:John Holland 160:Total length 119:Mekong River 29: 868: / 856:102°42′56″E 391:Savannakhet 91: / 79:102°42′56″E 66:Coordinates 883:Categories 853:17°52′42″N 752:The Nation 605:21 January 550:References 374:for Laos. 308:rail gauge 242:pronounced 225:pronounced 76:17°52′42″N 275:Vientiane 259:Nong Khai 137:Vientiane 129:Nong Khai 743:Archived 615:cite web 488:See also 330: in 300: in 263:Thailand 201:Location 110:, Trains 787:29 June 704:31 July 672:31 July 573:29 June 455:portage 434:Railway 426:of the 351:History 325:⁄ 295:⁄ 176:History 115:Crosses 104:Carries 251:Mekong 193:Opened 125:Locale 599:(PDF) 592:(PDF) 265:with 168:Width 789:2020 706:2009 674:2009 621:link 607:2009 575:2020 424:AH12 342:The 335:The 306:The 271:Laos 217:Thai 211:The 370:as 310:is 269:in 261:in 234:Lao 885:: 779:. 749:, 722:. 690:. 658:. 647:^ 637:. 617:}} 613:{{ 566:. 469:. 430:. 382:. 240:, 236:: 232:; 223:, 219:: 139:, 131:, 818:. 791:. 755:. 708:. 676:. 623:) 609:. 577:. 332:) 327:8 323:3 320:+ 318:3 314:( 297:8 293:3 290:+ 288:3 284:( 215:( 20:)

Index

First Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge

Coordinates
17°52′42″N 102°42′56″E / 17.8783°N 102.7156°E / 17.8783; 102.7156
Motor vehicles
Mekong River
Nong Khai
Nong Khai Province
Vientiane
Vientiane Prefecture
John Holland
Thai
[sā.pʰāːnmít.trā.pʰâːptʰājlāːwhɛ̀ŋtʰîːnɯ̀ŋ]
Lao
[kʰǔamīt.tā.pʰâːpláːwtʰájhɛ̄ŋtʰám.ʔít]
Mekong
Nong Khai Province
Nong Khai
Thailand
Vientiane Prefecture
Laos
Vientiane
rail gauge
loading gauge
structure gauge

Government of Australia
development aid
John Holland
Second Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge

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