(3) East-West Economic Corridor Improvement Project

(a) Background and Necessity

As of 2013, Myanmar sent 38.4 percent of its exports to Thailand, more than any other country,
and received 10.0 percent of its imports from Thailand, the third highest, making Thailand a
major trade partner for Myanmar. Going forward, the volume of trade is expected to rise
significantly with the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015 and as a result
of economic development in Myanmar that spurs an increase in the number of production bases
while stimulates consumption.
A key overland transportation route between Myanmar and Thailand, the East-West Economic
Corridor is an international trunk roadway that also connects to Vietnam and Laos. While
Thailand has developed the corridor so that heavy vehicles can travel along it smoothly, in the
Myanmar portion of the corridor, there are still unimproved sections of the trunk road, and as a
result, transportation between Yangon and Bangkok (870 kilometers) takes approximately 3.5
days and is about three times as expensive as maritime transportation. Along the Myanmar
portion are three large existing bridges that cross the Gyaing River in southeast Myanmar, the
Gyaing Kawkareik Bridge, the Atran Bridge, and the Gyaing Zathabyin Bridge. Construction on
them began in the late 1990s by the Ministry of Construction, but an inadequate level of
technology and budgeting resulted in maintenance issues and a weight limit of 20 tons for
crossing vehicles, hindering the smooth flow of transportation.

(b) Objectives and Summary

By replacing three bridges (the Gyaing Kawkareik, Attaran, and Gyaing Zathabyin Bridges)
that hinder the smooth flow traffic along the East-West Economic Corridor to Mawlamyine and
Myawaddy on the Thai border, this project will address the rising need for transportation in that
interval, make domestic and international goods distribution more efficient, and thereby
stimulating trade with other countries in the Mekong region and promoting direct investment in
Myanmar.

(c) Executing Agency

Department of Bridge, Ministry of Construction
Address: Building No. (11), Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar
Phone: +95-67-407073

(d) Planned Implementation Schedule

(i) Completion of project: March 2023 – with completion of the current bridge removals
(ii) Issuing of letters of invitation for consulting services: October 2015
(iii) Tender announcement of initial procurement package for international
competitive bidding on project construction: July 2017