The Chinese Embassy in Myanmar has announced that the construction of the new Kunlong Bridge in Lashio Township, Lashio District, Shan State, is expected to be completed by this year.

A local official also confirmed to Shan Herald that the construction of the new bridge across the Thanlwin River (known as the Nu River in China) is being undertaken by Chinese and Myanmar engineers.

“ This new bridge, being constructed by Myanmar and Chinese engineers, is a crucial piece of infrastructure in the bilateral trade sector. Although it is almost complete, traffic cannot yet pass through”, the official said.

The Thanlwin River can currently be crossed by a suspension bridge. However, due to weight restrictions, trucks must take turns crossing, leading to significant delays.

The currently-under-construction Kunlong Bridge is a vital part of the Theinni-Kunlong- Chinshwehaw Highway Road, which serves as a significant border crossing, hence completing the bridge promptly is of utmost importance, a truck driver who frequently uses the road told Shan Herald.

“Once this bridge is completed, we will be able to drive directly from Lashio-Theinni to Kunlong- Chinshwehaw without having to use the detour bridge, where delays can occur due to truck queues. As motorists we are eager for the new bridge to be completed quickly”, he said.

The 6-span box girder type bridge is 268 meters long and 12 meters wide. Construction began in December 2020, and when including the approach road, the total length will be approximately 4.2 kilometers.

From March 7- 9th, Mr. Tan Shufu, the Economic and Commercial Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar, visited the bridge construction project and examined various aspects, including trade in the China-Myanmar border region, mulberry plant growth and silkworm breeding, alternative crop cultivation, and the export of cattle to China for meat production.