The Vientiane-Vangvieng section of the China-Laos expressway opens on Dec 20,2020. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The opening of the Vientiane-Vangvieng section of the China-Laos expressway on Sunday gives Laos its first expressway.

The China-Laos expressway runs from Bohan Port in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province, to Vientiane, Laos, with a total length of 440 kilometers. Once completed, driving time between the two places will be reduced from 20 hours to 5 hours.

The journey from Vientiane to Vangvieng, the most popular tourism destination in the country, will be shortened from 3.5 hours to one hour. The expressway will improve the transportation network within the country and contribute to local socioeconomic development.

An aerial photo shows the completed Vientiane-Vangvieng section of the China-Laos expressway. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Construction of the Vientiane-Vangvieng section was a joint effort of the government of Laos and Yunnan Construction and Investment Holding Group. Work on the 111-km highway began in December 2018. It was finished 13 months ahead of schedule, despite the outbreak of COVID-19, the company said.

An opening ceremony was held in Vientiane and Kunming online to mark the moment on Sunday. Officials from both countries attended.

The expressway is a landmark project of the Belt and Road Initiative, a milestone in promoting comprehensive strategic cooperation of the two countries and a starting point for enhancing people-to-people communications.

Zhou Jiaxin contributed to the story.

An aerial photo shows the completed Vientiane-Vangvieng section of the China-Laos expressway. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A tunnel of the Vientiane-Vangvieng section of the China-Laos expressway. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A tunnel of the Vientiane-Vangvieng section of the China-Laos expressway. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]