Fifty roads being upgraded in Yangon municipal area

The Union of Myanmar is made up of 14 states and divisions. These states and divisions have respective capitals as well as districts, townships, wards and villages. The State has assigned duties and responsibilities to respective commands, ministries and subordinate organizations to ensure development of the capitals, districts, townships, wards and villages.

Networks of road, water and air transports have stretched throughout the nation. Myanmar relies on road transport more than other modes of transport.

Nowadays, more and more Union highways and large bridges are under construction, while roads within and without the states and divisions, districts and townships, being upgraded, and district-to-district and township-to-township roads being extended with added momentum.

Respective ministries are taking responsibilities for the building of some road sections in Yangon Division, and the Yangon City Development Committee, for transport links in the townships and districts with the passage of time.

I would like to spotlight the special project being implemented by the YCDC in 33 townships, for which it is taking responsibilities to be completed during the period from October 2005 to May 2006.

The Engineering Department (Roads and Bridges) under the YCDC is playing a major role in constructing roads and bridges. The department is speeding up tasks for the development of Yangon City such as laying concrete slabs on platforms on both sides of the roads, expansion of platforms, upgrading of earth drains into brick or concrete ones, extension of the mouths of junctions of the roads, and renovation or upgrading of junctions of the roads.

The population of Yangon City is on the increase, thus leading to the emergence of new towns one after another. In 1988, Yangon City consisted of 27 townships with 133.63 square miles in total with a population of around 4 million. Now, the number of the townships has increased to 33 with total area of 265 square miles with a population of over 5.295 million. Its area has doubled with many new roads.

The Engineering Department (Roads and Bridges) is taking responsibilities for renovation or maintenance of 1,474 miles of roads — 1,250 miles of tar, concrete or gravel roads, seven miles of granite roads, and 217 miles of laterite roads.

It has built many roads in the Yangon City municipal area. With respect to maintenance tasks, it is tarmacking old roads and filling the potholes on the roads.

It started tarring 25 roads and laying gravel on 25 roads in the city on 1 October 2005 and the project is scheduled to be completed by 31 May 2006. The tarring of the roads is being carried out with five work units with five machines.

Roads under extra concrete laying according to the plan are 2650-foot section of Strand Road between Ahlon and Bayintnaung Roads, 9960-foot section of Bayintnaung Road between Parami Road and Kamayut Creek Bridge, 4176-foot section of Banyadala Road between Kyaikkasan Road and Tarmway Junction, 9418-foot section of Kyaikwaing Pagoda Road between Pyay and Insein Roads, 10175-foot section of Entrance Road to Nyaunghnapin Road, 33500-foot section of Parami Road between Dagon Myothit (North) Bridge and Bayintnaung Road, 4400-foot section of West Shwegonedaing Road between Kaba Aye Pagoda and U Wisara Roads, 1400-foot Hledan Road between Kamayut Junction and Hledan Overpass, 14082-foot section of Anawratha Street between Lower Pazundaung and Strand Roads, 8100-foot section of Thamaing Budayon Road between Insein Road and Bayintnaung Bridge, 5000-foot section of U Chit Maung Road between Saya San Road and Tarmway Junction, 6078-foot section of Kanpatlan Road between Bahan Roundabout and Setyon Street, 7000-foot section of Maha Bandoola Street between Sule Pagoda Road and Lanthit Street, 17000-foot section of Waizayanta Road between Thanthuma and Parami Roads, 5300-foot section of Saya San Road between Kaba Aye Pagoda and Yankin Roads, 6235-foot section of Natmauk Road between Kaba Aye Pagoda Road and Setyon Street, 8220-foot section of Merchant Street between Shwe-dagon and Yazadariz Roads, 14580-foot section of Ledaunk-kan Road between East Racecourse and Thanthuma Roads, 2088-foot section of North Racecourse Road between Saya San and East Racecourse Roads, 7959-foot section of Kyaikkasan Road between Natmauk and East Racecourse Roads, 13452-foot section of Bogyoke Aung San Street between Lower Pazundaung Road and Thakin Mya Park, 19400-foot section of Thanthuma Road between Ledaunk-kan and Parami Roads, 3200-foot section of U Htaung Bo Road between Kaba Aye Pagoda and U Wisara Roads, 4500-foot section of East Racecourse Road between Tarmway Junction and North Race Course Road, and 4921-foot section of Thameinbaran Road between Tarmway Junction and Lagunein Bridge. The width of the roads will be 22 to 72 feet as necessary.

The respective sections of the following 25 roads will be upgraded:

The 1885-foot section of Medawi Street between Waibagi Road and Specialist Hospital in North Okkalapa Township, 6700-foot section of Thudhamma Road between Waibagi Road and Khayebin Street, 2100-foot section of Thumingala Road between Thitsa and Parami Roads in South Okka-lapa Township, 500-foot Natsin Street in Kyimyindine Township, 363-foot Htana Street (entrance road to Baho Sanpya Fish Market), 393-foot Sagawabin Street (entrance road to Baho Sanpya Fish Market), 1593-foot Alanpya Pagoda Street in Dagon Township, 2000-foot Myanmagonyi Street between Upper Pansodan Street and Theinbyu Roads in Mingala Taungnyunt Township, 1900-foot Myayagon Street between Bo Min Yaung and Theinbyu Roads, 3200-foot Budayon Street between Lanthit and Insein Roads in Insein Township, 5893-foot section of Hlawga Road between No 4 Highway and Maha Bandoola Road in
Shwepyitha Township, 5935-foot section of Bayintnaung Road between Sittoung and Maha Myaing Roads, 7680-foot section of No 4 Highway between Computer Science University and city municipal border line, 2200-foot section of ShweOoDaung Road between Bogyoke and Tabinshwehti Roads in Hlinethaya Township, 5100-foot section of Hsinbyushin Road between Nyaungdon and Bago Roads, 8100-foot section of Mandalay Road between Shwepyitha Bridge and U Pon Nya Road, 3250-foot section of Shweyinaye Road between Shwepyitha Tada and Bo Aung Kyaw Roads, 3500-foot section of Alaungphaya Road between Bo Aung Kyaw and Kyansittha Roads, 2680-foot section of Hpa-an Road between Nyaungdon and Mandalay Roads, 6500-foot section of Hlawga Road between Kyansittha and Hsetthweye Roads in Dagon Myothit (South) Township, 4000-foot section of Pyidaungsu Road between Hlawga and Ayeyawon Roads, 12000-foot section of Panglong Road between Anawrahta and U Wisara Roads in Dagon Myothit (North) Township, 5500-foot section of No 2 Highway between Institute of Economics and Masoe Bridge in Dagon Myothit (North) Township, 11000-foot section of Aungchantha Road between No 1 and No 4 Highways in Mingaladon Township, and 2800-foot section of Nwekhwe Road between Pyay Road and No 3 Highway. The width of the roads will be between 18 and 80 feet.

In addition to concrete laying and tarring roads, the YCDC has also repaired them and patched the potholes in the Yangon municipal area. The YCDC patched 12973 potholes on 120 roads in 22 townships during the period from May to July 2005; 29139 potholes on 119 streets in 28 townships in August; and 13000 potholes on 23 streets in 11 townships in September.

Engineering Department of the YCDC implements the project to upgrade, lay tar or concrete and repair the 50 roads and will continue to maintain all the roads in the city. The department will build self-reliant roads in the city in cooperation with Union Solidarity and Development Association.

Author : Reporter Than Swe (Pabedan)