A ceremony to inaugurate the Myanmar-Korea Friendship (Dala) Bridge was held at the venue in Yangon Region yesterday morning, graced by the presence of Acting President of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and State Security and Peace Commission Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.
On the occasion, Union Minister for Construction U Myo Thant explained the purpose of building the bridge. A documentary movie on the construction of the bridge was screened.
A representative from Soosung Company of the Bridge Construction In-charge Team of Korea handed over documents related to the bridge to Director-General U Kyaw Kaung Cho of the Department of Bridges under the Ministry of Construction.
The Union minister presented a gift in commemoration of the opening of the bridge to the Senior General.
Speaking on the occasion, the Senior General said that in implementing projects for national development, it is necessary to ensure that public funds are used without waste, that quality is maintained to ensure long-term sustainability, and that responsible persons work together to assess, provide constructive criticism, and make corrections regarding whether projects truly benefit the local areas.
He stressed that projects carried out using public funds must also be ones that generate tangible benefits for the regions concerned.
To build the bridge, he continued that the bilateral meetings between Myanmar and Korea were initiated in 2012. About the construction process, US$157.833 million from the Economic Development Cooperation Fund-EDCF of Korea and US$30.341 million and K23.062 billion of the Myanmar government, totalling US$188.174 million was spent on implementing the project.
The Senior General underscored that in Yangon Region, efforts are being made to develop infrastructure to ensure an orderly traffic system in line with the characteristics of a city, such as expanding urban roads, constructing overpasses, and building major four-lane river-crossing bridges like the present ones at necessary locations. As such, traffic congestion can be reduced, and the flow of passengers and goods can be accelerated, thereby promoting further development in the economic, social, and health sectors of the public.
He highlighted that the already-commissioned Dala bridge provides smooth transport facilities to the people travelling to Dala, Twantay, Kawhmu and Kungyangon from Yangon as well as to townships in Ayeyawady Region.
Moreover, he added that the bridge helps create the road transport facilities which connect the downtown Yangon with Twantay, Kawhmu and Kungyangon as part of urbanization efforts.
Consequently, the Senior General noted that Dala becomes an entrance to Yangon and Ayeyawady regions and will have access to transport of domestic products through the land routes. Moreover, people from Dala can travel to townships of Ayeyawady Region such as Dedaye, Pyapon and Bogale, including the beach areas through the Dedaye Bridge in a short time.
The Senior General unveiled that the Government is working with vision and clear objectives to ensure the emergence of the national interests, making continuous efforts with constant vigilance, unwavering perseverance, diligence, and determination.
He emphasized that with the aim of ensuring a peaceful and stable future for the country and a prosperous and happy life for its citizens, the Government is striving to shape sound goals and directions. As such, parents, the people, and brothers and sisters of all ethnic nationalities need to further cooperate and actively support the Government’s processes for peace, democracy, and the development of a federal democratic system.
The Senior General stressed the need for the people to comply with the prescribed traffic and road safety regulations when using the Myanmar-Korea Friendship (Dala) Bridge in order to ensure safety, and to work together to help care for and preserve the bridge so that it remains durable and sustainable in the long term.
The Senior General and party arrived at the venue where Commission Member Prime Minister U Nyo Saw, Commission Secretary General Ye Win Oo, Union Minister for Transport and Communications U Mya Tun Oo, Union Minister for Construction U Myo Thant and Yangon Region Chief Minister U Soe Thein formally opened the bridge.
On the occasion, the Senior General unveiled the plaque and sprinkled scented water on it. He also sprayed the bronze plaque at Pylon 2.
The Senior General strolled along the bridge and cordially greeted the ethnic youth who attended the ceremony.
Also, present at the ceremony were senior Tatmadaw officers from the Office of the Commander-in-Chief, the commander of Yangon Command, officials from construction companies, engineers from Korea, China and Myanmar and officials.
As the Union Minister for Construction proposed the plans for beautifying the shore around the bridge, the Senior General gave necessary guidance. The Senior General and party visited Dala in a motorcade.
The Myanmar-Korea Friendship (Dala) Bridge originated from discussions between the leaders of the two countries during President U Thein Sein’s goodwill visit to the Republic of Korea in October 2012, at which time they agreed to undertake a bilateral friendship bridge project. On 19 June 2013, responsible officials from both countries held consultations, approving plans to construct a major river-crossing bridge over the Yangon River with financing from the Republic of Korea’s Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) loan. With assistance from the Republic of Korea, a feasibility study for the bridge project was launched in April 2013.
The design standards used for the bridge were selected and developed in an integrated manner to be compatible with Myanmar’s road and traffic conditions, geological characteristics and ground-bearing capacity, as well as social and economic factors. Construction of the bridge project commenced on 27 May 2019. The main bridge has a gradient of 5.95 per cent and a length of 6,127 feet, with a total width of 79 feet. It comprises four traffic lanes, each 11 feet and six inches wide, and pedestrian walkways on both sides, each 6.5 feet wide. The bridge can withstand 75 tonnes of load. In addition, water pipelines with a diameter of 1.5 feet have been installed on each side of the bridge to supply potable water from Yangon City to Dala Township.
The opening of this bridge is reported to promote development across various sectors in the region, including social services, the economy, education, health, and transportation, while also serving as a prominent landmark of Yangon City.
MNA/TTA
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