China-Laos railway project makes new headway

Construction of the China-Laos railway is making new headway. The bridging work of the longest bridge on the Chinese section of the railway began on Mar 23 in southwest China's Yunnan Province. The 3.5-kilometer-long Ganlanba Bridge has a total of 108 piers.

Ganlanba Bridge is located 30 kilometers away from Jinghong City of Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, stretching over fields, fish ponds, banana and rubber forests. As Xishaungbanna is rich in natural resources, several bridges are designed in the prefecture to reduce occupation of land and protect the local ecological environment.

The Boten Tunnel of the railway was dug through on Mar 21, marking another breakthrough in the construction of the international railway line. The tunnel is 6,453.5 meters long and is one of the 10 long tunnels each with a length of more than 5 kilometers.

The China-Laos railway is a landmark interconnectivity project under the Belt and Road Initiative. The railway line is of great importance to enhance regional connectivity and development. 

（people.com.cn, Xinhua News, Yunnan Daily）