Namkaw Bridge at the entrance of Monglon Town in Kyaukme Township, northern Shan State has collapsed, disrupting travel along the busiest route from Mandalay to Lashio and Muse on the China border.
The bridge is on the route from Mandalay through Mogok, Monglon, Kyaukme, Lashio and on to Muse. This used to be a minor route, but due to the closure of other busier routes it has become far more well used.
The bridge collapsed at around 9:00 am on 20 June 2025 as a lorry was crossing it. This happened because too many overweight vehicles had been using it instead of using a bypass route for heavy vehicles that goes through the river, according to a long-distance bus driver.
He said to NMG: “There's a bypass road next to the bridge for vehicles that are too heavy, but part of that road goes through water. So, backhoes and big cargo trucks usually avoid it and keep using the bridge instead. Over time, that constant heavy use damaged the bridge, and eventually, it collapsed.”
Repairs to the bridge are currently impossible because there is too much ongoing fighting in the area.
Currently the only way to cross the river is to use the bypass route for heavy vehicles that goes through the river, but this route is risky for motorbikes and small cars. The bridge collapse has led to hundreds of vehicles getting stuck in congestion at the nearby One-Mile junction every day. Because of the congestion drivers are urging the local authorities to build a temporary bridge as soon as possible.
The route from Mandalay City via Monglon Town is currently the only open route between the Chinese border, Lashio and Mandalay and as a result the bridge has seen a lot of extra traffic going both ways, especially cargo trucks. This extra traffic also contributed to the bridge's collapse.
Another bus driver who is familiar with the bridge said: “Heavy trucks are using this route too. With more and more heavy trucks passing through the bridge just couldn’t handle the weight. Even though there’s a bypass built for heavy vehicles, they don’t use it, and that’s how the bridge eventually broke down. Right now, it’s not possible to repair the bridges and roads in the area, even if they’re damaged or destroyed.”
The collapse of the Namkaw Bridge has limited the movement of trucks along the road which has led to reduced transportation of goods, higher transport costs and travel delays, according to drivers using the route.
There were two bridges on the road to Lashio in Kyaukme Township, both of which were built during the British colonial period, at Monglon and Namkaw towns. The Monglon Bridge remains in good condition and is still in use.
Kyaukme Township is currently controlled by the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and there is frequent fighting in the township between the TNLA and the junta.
