Myanmar delays building of cross-river bridge until next year

Myanmar has delayed the building of Yangon-Dala cross-river bridge until January 2018 instead of this year, the local 7-Day News reported Monday.

As there remains several matters such as land compensation, demarcation of project area and loan seeking to be coordinated with the South Korean contractor, the cross-river project is being delayed, an official of the Ministry of Construction was quoted as saying.

The construction of the Korea-Myanmar Friendship Bridge is to pave a way from downtown of Yangon to Dala, an under-developed small town lying on the southern bank of the Yangon River.

Aimed at providing better transportation services and raising the socio-economic status of local residents, the bridge is set to be built at a total cost of 168.174 million U.S. dollars, of which a loan of 137.833 million U.S. dollars will be mainly obtained from South Korea's Economic Development Cooperation Fund through the Korea Exim Bank.

The project will be carried out by a Korean firm, Soosoog Co Ltd, and is originally targeted to be completed by the fiscal year 2020-21.

The four-lane bridge will be 590.1 meters long, 48 meters high and 250 miters wide. It will link Phonegyi Street in Lanmadaw township with Bo Min Yaung Street in Dala.

The project will also feature water pump lines to distribute water from Yangon to Dala as water shortage always occurs in Dala in summer. Endit