Representatives of Vietnam’s Ministry of Transport and the Lao Ministry of Public Works and Transport have discussed a major project to develop an expressway linking Hanoi and Vientiane as part of their five-year cooperation plan starting this year.

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At a meeting in Laos on Wednesday, the two sides agreed the route layout and related issues for the 760-kilometer expressway connecting the capitals of the two countries, according to Vietnam’s Ministry of Transport.

The agreement was reached based on results of a pre-feasibility study conducted by Vietnam’s Transportation Design Consultancy Corporation (Tedi).

The expressway is planned to start from Vientiane, passing through Laos’ Pakxan and Nghe An Province’s Thanh Thuy, and end in Hanoi. 

With the route layout finalized, the ministries will submit reports on the proposed expressway project to their governments.

They will also carry out a study on upgrading National Highway No. 18B linking Laos’ Attapeu Province and Vietnam’s Kon Tum Province in the coming time.

In addition, the transport ministry and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) have been implementing the feasibility study for construction of a railroad linking Ha Tinh Province’s Vung Ang Port and Vientiane.

The Vientiane-Hanoi expressway and Vung Ang-Vientiane railway are considered key routes that help connect ASEAN countries and those in the Greater Mekong Subregion.

Road projects connecting Vietnam and Laos are aimed at improving traffic networks in the region and promoting trade among ASEAN countries, especially between Laos and Vietnam.

The transport ministries of Vietnam and Laos will improve their collaboration plan in 2016-2020 and prepare a government-to-government memorandum of understanding on transport cooperation for transport ministers of the two countries to sign this year.