Lt-Gen Maung Bo fixes golden bolt at frame of Thanlwin Bridge (Mawlamyine)

YANGON, 26 March - A ceremony to fix the golden bolt at Thanlwin Bridge (Mawlamyine) being built by Public Works was held at the Mingala Mandat on the pier RP 10 of the main bridge this morning, attended by Member of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Maung Bo of the Ministry of Defence.

Also present on the occasion were Chairman of Mon State Peace and Development Council Commander of South-East Command Maj-Gen Thura Myint Aung, Minister for Construction Maj-Gen Saw Tun, Minister for Mines Brig-Gen Ohn Myint, Minister for Rail Transportation Maj-Gen Aung Min, officials of the State Peace and Development Council Office, departmental heads, engineers and workers of the Thanlwin Bridge (Mawlamyine) Project, local authorities and local people.

At the ceremony, Lt-Gen Maung Bo delivered an address. He said steel frame installation work of Thanlwin Bridge (Mawla-myine) is about to be completed. The bridge lies on the 842-mile Union Highway linking Yangon and Kawthoung in the southern tip of the nation via Myeik, Dawei and Mawlamyine. The total length of the bridge including the 7,699 feet main structure and two 3,876-foot approach structures is 11,575 feet or over two miles. The rail-cum-road bridge can bear up to 60 tons. The total expenditure of the bridge excluding the railroad will be K 20,579 million plus about US $ 13 million. The bridge has been built by Myanmar engineers without taking assistance from foreign experts.

The Government has been upholding Our Three Main National Causes and implementing the 12 State's Objectives. In addition to other ministries, the Ministry for Progress of Border Areas and National Races and Development Affairs has been formed for development of all border areas, rural areas and urban areas without leaving any region unattended.

Thanks to the border areas development project, 24-zone development project and five rural development tasks the whole nation is seeing progress in all sectors.

There will be national unity only if there is peace and stability and the rule of law in the entire nation. Similarly, the national unity ensures social development which will also bring economic development. Transport development is the most basic task in developing a nation. Thus, roads reaching all the directions of the nation have been built, and bridges large and small play an important role in the transport development. The cost of building a bridge is high, by they will continue to stand as the valuable heritage for the posterity. No government in the past had ever dreamt of building a mammoth bridge like the Thanlwin Bridge (Mawlamyine) linking Mawlamyine and Mottama. The bridge will be opened in the coming December. Thanks to the bridge there will be a direct road link from Kawthoung to Machanbaw in the northernmost top of the nation via Yangon and Mawlamyine. The bridge is an outcome of the correct leadership of the State, collective effort of the departments, Tatmadawmen and the people.

As the Government is rendering assistance for progress of Mon State, the locals will have to strive more for their region, where Mawlamyine, the third largest city in Myanmar, is located to become at least in the third important region for the State. The State is providing supervision and assistance for region development. But the actual development of a region relies on the efforts of its people.

Minister for Construction Maj-Gen Saw Tun also gave a speech, saying that as the State Peace and Development Council is building the country as a peaceful, modern and developed democratic country, emphasis is being paid on development of infrastructures such as human resource development sector, industry sector, agriculture and livestock breeding sector, transport sector, etc. In doing so, the transport sector plays an important role. So, roads, bridges, airports and railroads were built as a network throughout the country.

Of the infrastructures, Thanlwin Bridge (Mawlamyine) where iron frames have already been installed today is located on 842 miles long Kawthoung-Myeik-Dawei-Mawlamyine-Yangon Union Highway and it links Mawlamyine and Mottama. According to the decision of the meeting 1/98 of Special Projects Implementation Committee held on 26-10-1998, construction tasks of the bridge started on Mawlamyine bank on 18 March 2000 and on Mottama bank on 1 November 2000. At present, the longest bridge in the country is Ayeyawady Bridge (Magway) which is 8,989 feet long. In future, Mawlamyine Bridge (Thanlwin) will be the longest one in the nation. It will be rail-cum-road one which will have 11,575 feet long motor road and 21,618 feet long railroad. The iron frames weighing 19,000 tons worth US$ 13 million were installed at the bridge. Later, the minister urged local authorities and people to participate in the construction tasks.

Next, Commander Maj-Gen Thura Myint Aung made a speech. Afterwards, Lt-Gen Maung Bo, Commander Maj-Gen Thura Myint Aung, Minister Maj-Gen Saw Tun and Minister Maj-Gen Aung Min took the designated places. At the auspicious time, Lt-Gen Maung Bo and party fixed the golden bolts at the designated steel frames and sprinkled scented water on them.

Next, they posed for documentary photos together with the workers on the bridge. Afterwards, Lt-Gen Maung Bo and party passed through the bridge. Thanlwin Bridge (Mawlamyine) lies on Yangon-Mawlamyine-Myeik-Kawthoung Highway and it is crossing Thanlwin River to link Mawlamyine and Mottama of Paung township.

The motor road will be 11,575 feet long -1,624 feet long approach road on Mawlamyine bank, 2,252 feet long the one on Mottama bank and the 7,699 feet long main bridge. The railroad will be 26,466 feet long- 8,716 feet long approach road in Mawlamyine bank, 10,051 feet long one on Mottama bank and 7,699 feet long main bridge. The bridge will have 28 feet wide motor road along with six feet wide pedestrian ways on both sides and 14 feet wide railroad. On completion, the bridge will be the longest and biggest one built by Myanmar engineers in the country.