Construction of China-Laos Railway speeds up

Builders began to lay the first steel truss complex on June 22 on the Yuanjiang Railway Bridge, marking a new milestone in the construction of China-Laos railway.

Spanning the V-shaped Honghe River Valley and with its deck 237 meters above the river level, the Yuanjiang Railway Bridge is located in Yuanjiang County, Yuxi City of Yunnan Province. The 832.2-meter long bridge has 6 piers and its No. 3 pier is 154 meters tall, the tallest in the world. In addition, the main span of its continuous steel truss girder, which is 249 meters long, will add a new world record in bridge construction as well.

The China-Laos railway starts from Yuxi, Yunnan, linking Mohan-Boten border gate, the world-renowned tourist destination Luang Prabang and to Lao capital Vientiane. As an important part of the pan-Asian railway, it is aimed to facilitate China-ASEAN cooperation through effectively reducing logistics costs and boosting trade, investment and tourism. After its completion, the railway travel between Kunming and Vientiane is expected to cost less than one day.

(Xinhua, Hu Chao)