VIENTIANE - The Vientiane-Vangvieng expressway to be extended to China will lift up a new face of transport system in Laos, State-run Lao News Agency (KPL) reported on Wednesday.

According to the KPL report, the Vientiane-Vangvieng expressway is part of the mega Laos-China Expressway Project, which will link the Lao capital Vientiane with Boten in Luang Namtha on the Laos-China border.

The Vientiane-Vangvieng expressway will stretch 113.5 km between Vientiane and Vangvieng district of Vientiane Province, some 110 km north of Vientiane.

At a cost of around $1.3 billion, the four-lane highway will be built between Sikeuth in Naxaythong district in Vientiane and eastern Vangvieng from which the next phase of the Laos-China expressway project will be connected, said KPL.

The highway will run in parallel with the existing Road 13 North, and is designed to allow a max speed of 80 km per hour. Seven roundabouts will be built along the expressway along with two service areas and two rest areas. The service facilities will be equipped with gas stations, hotels, shops, restaurants and garages.

The project will be conducted as a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) project by Yunnan Construction Engineering Group from China. The construction of the expressway may take around three years.