Approaching bridges, roads to Yangon-Dala Bridge slated to complete at 2023-end

The Myanmar-Korea Friendship Bridge (Dala) project, which will become a prominent landmark of Yangon commercial hub and tourist spot, commenced in May 2019 and efforts are being exerted to complete the construction works on the bridges and roads approaching the Dala Bridge on both sides at the end of 2023.
The appearance of the bridge has become vividly clear. The aesthetic design of bridges with approaching bridges, including two-lane bridges connecting to Phonegyi Road from the Dala side, and one-lane bridge to Sule Road and Strand Road on the Yangon side is enchanting and it makes Yangon urban city more liveable.
That bridge will become the longest and largest steel cable-stayed bridge in the country, with bored piles foundation, four-metre-wide sidewalks and a maximum loading capacity of 75 tonnes. The approaching bridge on the Dala side is 577 metres long and the one on the Yangon side is 601 metres long. The total length of the bridge is 6,144 feet (1,868 metres). International cargo ships with 15,000 DWT can pass under the bridge, with a clearance height of 49 metres (160 feet) and width of 301 metres (998 feet). Sub-contractor CML company constructs two towers in the middle of the river and a cable suspension bridge with Korean technology. The main bridge between two towers (pylons) is 370 metres long.
“The construction of the approaching bridges on the Yangon and Dala sides is underway with concrete slab works. The approaching bridges and road parts are soon to be completed. The PY1 is 50 metres high and PY-2 is 45 metres high. The main bridge is to be 130 metres high. The construction works are accelerated with double shifts. About 54 per cent of the project is finished for now. The cable will be installed in each part of the bridge span in September. The construction of the approaching bridges and roads is slated to be completed at the end of the year. The Ministry of Construction is endeavouring to complete the whole project in 2024,” said U Kyaw Kaung Cho, deputy director-general of the Department of Bridge.
This friendship bridge project was initiated during former President U Thein Sein’s trip to the Republic of Korea. Under the agreement of the two leaders of the nations, the feasibility study was undertaken step by step from a pilot project with the assistance of the ROK. In 2015, the Ministry of Construction signed an agreement for the construction of the bridge with the EDCF loan of Korea.
The GS Engineering Group is the main contractor and developer of this bridge project, spending approximately US$157.833 million. The interest on the loan is at 0.01 per cent and the repayment period is 40 years.
Upon completion of the bridge, it will bring about business opportunities for the local communities in Ayeyawady Region, linking with the commercial hub Yangon. It will enhance socioeconomic development, and facilitate transport.
The Myanmar-Korea Friendship Bridge will become the largest bridge with the highest clearance between the surface of the water and the bridge. – Nyein Thu (MNA)/EM