YALA, May 25 -- Soldiers at the partially completed section of the highway.The Royal Thai Army's Engineering in now constructing the Highway 418, a 35km four lane strategic road linking Ban Klongkut in Pattani and Ban Tasap in Yala, which wassupposed to be completed by a private construction firm three years ago.The Highway Department first hired a private firm to build the highway in Jun, 2002 and complete it by September, 2005. But despite several extensions, it was left abandoned after only 25 percent completion as insurgents attacked workers and sabotaged construction areas.With a budget of 1,040 billion baht (more than RM100 million) the army now take over the construction and December, 2008 as the new deadline.-- fotoBERNAMA COPYRIGHT RESERVED

photographed by: ARUL RAJOO