Yangon-Mandalay highway to be upgraded with international aid
Play
Japan is investigating the quality of the Yangon-Mandalay highway to determine if the road needs repairing, according to an unnamed transport official.
The Myanmar government has requested assistance from a number of international organisations including the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). USAID has already made a survey of the highway’s condition, but so far no information has been made public.
“We have repaired the part we can and ask assistance from the others where we are not able to do so,” said an official from the Yangon-Mandalay highway project.
“JICA [Japan International Cooperation Agency] has also sent members of a company to investigate the highway. Two Japanese engineers from Nippon Road Company came and used equipment to take tests,” said the official.
According to the survey made by the Japanese engineers, the highway was in good condition, but added that two segments – one amounting to 19 per cent and another 6 per cent portion – needed upgrading.
Next month, the Japanese side will hold discussion with its Myanmar counterparts on how to proceed with the highway’s upgrade.
