R13N Oudom Xai - Pak Mong

[DavidFL]

For those of you unsure of the road condition of R13 from Oudom Xai - Pak Mong which has been under going reconstruction for over a year......it is pretty much all done now except for just a few kms,

The good stuff at the Oudom Xai end

Heading up into the hills

Heading into the hills

Not all the asphalt is completely sealed

but the road is generally in good condition all the way

putting in new drains beside the road.

 

[DavidFL]

Some sections are ready for asphalt

40 kms north of Oudom Xai the only road works blockage

fortunately for me it was only a 15 minute wait, but the others had been waiting for over half an hour.

back on the road.

Heading into Pak Mong

Pak Mong - Luang Prabang
the road has sen better days & it took me 2 hrs for the 100 kms.
Too much traffic & loads of broken asphalt & potholes.

I hit a couple of nasty potholes - one evil hole coming of the end of a bridge; & realized I still miss the Africa Twin & a 21 inch front wheel. The 19 inch on the Vstrom doesn't quite do it.

The way to go...perhaps. 55

At the end "happy daze" in Luang Prabang.

HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone.

 

[DavidFL]

Update 18th Feb 2016

Pak Mong - Oudom Xai returning to Chiang Mai there was only 2 kms of gravel left.
So basically it is asphalt all the way now.

 

[DavidFL]

It took a couple of years to fix this road & it was way behind schedule:  now some info from an interesting news item

Ghost projects

Phouphet Khamphounvong, Lao finance minister from 2012 to 2014 and formerly a governor of the Bank of the Lao PDR (People’s Democratic Republic), was arrested “at the end of December 2015 while attending a party,” a finance ministry source told RFA’s Lao Service.

The Lao government had previously granted concessions to private firms to build roads in Oudomxay province in northern Laos to support the country’s 10th National Sport Games, which were held in December 2014, sources said in earlier reports.

And though those roads were never built, the contracting firms later converted bonds issued in promise of future payment into cash with the help of “commissions” paid to finance ministry officials, sources said.

The scheme has caused losses so far of over 300 billion kip (U.S. $36,840,092) to the state budget, with little chance that money will ever be recovered.

The governor of Oudomxay province has now been “urgently removed” from office on suspicion of involvement in the scheme, with Phetsakhone Luangaphay, a deputy minister serving in the central government, replacing him as governor in September 2015, sources said.

Read the full story here: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/corruption-01082016142933.html

 

[DavidFL]

Update June 2016
The Pak Mong - Oudom Xai road is in total perfect condition & one of the best winding rides you can do at the moment.
Confirmed by the girlfriend's motion sickness, twice, riding pillion.

Photos to come of the road once I get my laptop back & sorted.

 

[DavidFL]

18th June 2016

Photos of R13N from Song Cha - the Hmong village up on top of the ridge line

It used to be like this in 2009

now its like this

The shops are better

the people more used to travellers

Enjoy R13N Pak Mong - Oudom Xai is a beauty