Will three upcoming overpasses ease traffic jams?

 

When the plans were first announces, Yangon authorities said the flyovers would be built at Hledan, Bayintnaung, Shwegondine and Tamwe junctions within four months. They were then strongly criticised for delaying the construction.

Shwetaung Company was commissioned to build the Hledan flyover; Capital Development Company to build the Shwegondine flyover; and FMI Co to build the Bayintnaung flyover. 

The construction of the Hledan flyover started in February 2012, and it opened in April 2013. The authorities said that upon completion, it would help to reduce traffic jam at Hledan junction to a certain degree. But the traffic jam there remains unsolved. 

Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC) cancelled the construction of the flyover at Tamwe junction before starting the second flyover, Bayintnaung in June 2012, which includes the extension of roads for the proper flow of traffic. 

The construction of the Bayintnaung flyover took over one year, and it came into operation in October 2013. Traffic congestion did not improve there, either. 

The construction of the Shwegondine flyover started in December 2012 and took 11 months to complete and opened a few weeks later. According to drivers, the traffic congestion there remains heavy. 

In fact, since the announcement of the construction of flyovers, traffic congestion in Yangon has only worsened.

Critics have concluded that the Yangon government failed to analyse the flyover projects in detail. The authorities have also been criticised for granting construction contracts to businessmen who are close to the authorities instead of to professionals.

At the end of 2013, reports emerged claiming the regional government was considering developing a new flyover project at 8-mile junction and at Myaynigone junction.

The regional government requested a budget to develop Myaynigone flyover project from the regional parliament, but plans to complete the project remain uncertain.

Construction on the Myaynigone overpass began on September 2 under the same company that built Shwegondine Overpass. The company said construction would conclude before the end of March 2014, as per the instruction of the regional government.

However, it seems that the Myaynigone flyover will not be finished in time, as the length of the flyover is longer than the previous ones, and construction on these shorter flyovers took about a year each.

In the mean time, the Yangon Region government requested budgets for special projects to develop at 8-mile junction, Tamwe junction and Kokkine junction in the next fiscal year. The regional government said it is necessary to develop flyover projects in those areas. 

It is clear that the Heldan and Shwegondine flyovers could not solve the traffic jam problem. Now people question whether the construction of new flyovers will do any good.

“A total of Ks 54.35 billion will be spent on the construction of new flyovers. Does the regional government know that experts have pointed out that there is no need to build the Tamwe flyover and that it needs to adopt effective traffic clearance system instead? Who will take responsibility for traffic jams in the junction-8 while the 8th Mile junction flyover is under construction? Which survey shows that it is necessary to construct the Kokkine overpass?” said MP Dr Nyo Nyo Thin from Bahan Township constituency No.2 at the Yangon Region parliament. 

Moreover, Dr Nyo Nyo Thin suggested the construction of a bridnge from Kyimyindine to other bank of the Yangon River in place of the Kokkine overpass, as the former would more greatly benefit the people.

Her proposal was rejected by the parliament, as the bridge would cost about Ks 120 billion.

“There’s no need to be hurry as JICA [Japan International Cooperation Agency] told us to help build the Tamwe overpass. And of course, we don’t need to build Kokkine overpass, as the congestion there is not that messy. I’m curious as to whether there is an involvement of groups close to government in this overpass project,” she argued.

MP U Kyaw from No 1 Thingangyun Constituency echoed: “We appreciate the idea of building overpasses to ease traffic jams. But the situation has not improved as expected, so we need to review. After the Shwegondine overpass was commissioned, the congestions moved to another place. Among the three overpasses slated, I think only the Tamwe roundabout needs one, and the rest – 8 Mile junction and Kokkine junction – don’t need any.”

The existing overpasses can ease merely the congestion directly around them. To solve this problem more expansively, the Union Government should provide a budget to construct flyovers, experts review.

Than Moe, an expert for the Yangon City Project weighed in: “Although the Hledan and Shwegondine overpasses havecome into service, there are still traffic jams. So it’s clear we need more alternatives. In Yangon, the roads stretching from north to south are busier than those spanning east to west. If we can find a balance over road usage, the problem will be relieved to a certain degree.”

According to reliable figures, there are over 400,000 motor vehicles in Yangon, and the congestion is worsening each day. Many of the people in Yangon look to the Yangon Regional Parliament to solve the city’s messy traffic jams for the sake of commuters.