Aung Kaung Zaw  — Construction of the 1,256-foot long Kinchaung Bridge, which has been built across the Kinchaung creek situated on Zinchaung-Kinmyaung-Lay Taung road in Kyaukphyu District of Arakan State, is expected to be finished in April 2020.

If construction work on Kinchaung Bridge is finished, it can easily connect Kyaukphyu-Lay Taung-Taunggup-Sittwe roads, said Amyotha Hluttaw MP Daw Htoot May.

“According to the government’s statement, bridge construction will be finished in April, 2020. This bridge will link Kyaukphyu and Lay Taung mainly. It will directly connect Yangon-Sittwe Road with Lay Taung from one side and Kyauk Chaung from another side,” she said.

The time period for the construction of the bridge ran from 1 June 2017 to 30 September 2019. The approximate cost of bridge construction is K 6,730 million, according to the report issued in 2017 by the Department of Bridges under the Ministry of Construction.

Upon completion of the bridge, local marine products can be transported easily via land routes, and it will provide better and faster transportation for locals.

“If the construction of the bridge is finished, we will be able to easily transport fishery products produced from our region to cities like Yangon without taking a long time. We used to rely on motor boats before but transportation will be better when the bridge is completed,” said U Aung Naing Tun, a local from Lay Taung town.

A special bridge construction team (8) from the Department of Bridges has been building the steel truss bridge and currently, it has installed steel trusses for half of the bridge.