After heavy rains triggered a landslide on the Myawady-Kawkareik section on Asian Highway in Kayin State on 7 August, disrupting traffic, swift action was taken. The Kayin State government and the State Highways Department initiated the construction of a temporary Bailey bridge on 10 August. Currently, the bridge is 70 per cent complete.
Overseen by Assistant Engineer U Moe Kyaw from the Kawkareik Highways Department, the bridge’s construction utilized six backhoes, two loaders, and one bulldozer.
In addition, temporary bypass dirt roads were established on the north and south sides of the damaged route. The Mun Myint Hein Company was entrusted with laying rough and smooth stones, covering a 200-foot-long, 30-foot-wide area for rough stone paving, and a 300-foot-long section for smooth stone paving, also 30 feet wide. The Kawkareik highways Department confirmed the completion of the one-foot-thick stone paving.
The temporary bailey bridge, measuring 70 feet in length and 13 feet in width, has been developed from the Myawady side. By 22 August, the installation of the bridge frame and the placement of iron floor slabs had reached the 70 per cent milestone.
The next phase will allow goods vehicles to resume passage as construction advances. Concurrently, the efficient construction of the bridge approach and the temporary Bailey bridge’s pavement on the Myawady-Kawkareik section on Asian Highway is ongoing. To ensure smooth operations, a security team led by a lieutenant-colonel from the Kawkareik station is providing tight security. — IPRD/KZW
