25th SEA Games, Laos

Transport officials have confirmed the construction of roads to be used during the SEA Games to be held in Laos in December will be finished on schedule.

Contractors would add more machinery and work longer both day and night on some jobs that must be done before the rainy season.

So far 52 percent of the four-lane road linking Don Noun junction to the new national stadium in Vientiane 's Xaythany district has been completed.

Head of the capital's SEA Games road project, Mr Noulot Latxaphong, said asphalt sealing work was 70 percent complete and would be finished by the start of next month.

He said land levelling was mostly completed. Footpaths, traffic islands and light installations were next on the drawing board.

“The rainy season will not pose any challenges for us. But the most important thing we must do is get the asphalting done as other jobs can be done during the rainy season.”

The four-lane 21-metre wide road will stretch for 4.5km and will be paved with 5-cm-thick asphalt, with a lifespan of 10 years.

The road is expected to be complete by September, three months before the SEA Games start. The road, valued at US$3.7 million, is being built by the government with a loan from the Republic of Korea .

Meanwhile, construction of the six-lane 450 Year Road linking Dongdok Road to the Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge in Dongphosy village, Hadxaifong district, has seen progress.

The contractor has agreed to focus on completion of a 4-km section to ease the flow of traffic during the SEA Games.

The main work for this road at the moment is land levelling and drainage installation, followed by paving.

The 450 Year Road is a result of the government's policy to improve access to rural areas, coinciding with the 450th anniversary of Vientiane as the capital of Laos in 2010.

Construction costs for the 33m-wide 20.3km-long road are expected to total US$37.59 million. It is set for completion on October 30, 2010.

Phontong is another road planned for completion ahead of the SEA Games.

The 90 billion kip (US$11million) road is 23 percent complete.

Project Manager Kounsombath Feaymanivong said the 12m-wide and 8.9km-long concrete road will be ready in October.

“From now on we will pave at least 100m a day. Now we're laying concrete at Mittaphab Hospital ,” he said.

“The rain is not a challenge for us, but our biggest problem is the overlapping between our project and other projects such as water pipes, which means pipes have had to be dug up.”

By Times Reporters
vientianetimes

During the 25th SEA Games in Vientiane , to run from December 9-18, action will be broadcast live on 14 television channels in six countries.

A meeting took place in Vientiane yesterday to discuss TV broadcasting fees and copyright.

Television networks that have agreed in principle to broadcast the SEA Games live are Brunei Radio and Television, Lao National Radio and Lao National Television, Lao Star Channel, Forever Group Co. Ltd (FRTB4-Myanmar), Media Corp TV Singapore Pte. Ltd, National Broadcasting Service of Thailand (NBT), TPBS, Channel 7, Channel 5, VTC Digital-Vietnam, VTV, TOT Co. Ltd., and CAT Telecom Co. Ltd.

The Phetchampa Advertising Company (PAC) is representing the Lao SEA Games Organising Committee (LAOSOC) and hosted the TV broadcasting rights meeting on duties and copyright for broadcasting in six Asean countries.

Vice President of the Lao National Olympic Committee, Mr Chanpheng Silattana, representatives from LAOSOC and from Asean countries attended the meeting.

PAC Director, Mr Khammoui Keomany, said he was looking forward to cooperating with LAOSOC and the Lao people to successfully selling TV broadcasting rights for the games.

Laos will use about 16 mobile broadcasting vans to cover all sports venues and will employ more than 144 people to work in production. The budget for the management of TV broadcasting is about 34 billion kip (US$4 million).

On the same day, LAOSOC officials reported progress on the sports complex and many other venues that are yet to be completed.

Venues include the main sports complex, indoor stadiums at the National University of Laos, the Chao-Anou football stadium, the Lao-ITECC arena and the Bungkha-nhong indoor stadium.

The venues are being built with the installation of broadcasting facilities in mind as provision of broadcasting equipment at each venue is a requirement for hosting the games. The national football stadium at Dongsanghin village in Xaythany district will be inspected and tested in June by LAOSOC before hosting the games' opening and closing ceremonies in December.

By Sangkhomsay Bubphanouvong
Vientianetimes