An engineer observes bridge construction from the Sagaing side of the Ayeyarwaddy River.

CONSTRUCTION on a bridge that will connect Mandalay with Sagaing on the other side of the Ayeyarwaddy River is more than 80 per cent complete and is expected to be finished by the end of the year, a project engineer said last week.

“The bridge will have the capacity to handle trucks of up to 60 tonnes if they cross alone, or motor vehicles of up to 36 tonnes if they cross together,” U Htay Myint, a project engineer with Mandalay Public Works under the Ministry of Construction, said at a press conference on January 19.

“We have spent US$10.9 million for the main steel structure, which was bought from China, and K15 billion for other construction work,” said U Htay Myint, adding that the project was entirely funded by the government with no external assistance.

The Deputy Commander of the Central Command, Brigadier-General Nay Win, told Myanmar Times on the sidelines of the press briefing: “With the increased border trade with India in future, the bridge will be of great use even though we have an existing one.”

He said the usefulness of bridges decline over time.

“The existing Innwa Bridge was built in 1934 so it’s about 70 years old,” he said. “We can assume it will be useful for another 30 years since the life of a bridge is normally 100 years, which is why we built a new one.”

Although eight trains cross the Innwa Bridge every day, the Ministry of Construction has not allowed trucks heavier than 15 tonnes to cross since 1992. Construction on the new bridge, to be called the Ayeyarwaddy Bridge (Yadanabon), began in 2001. When it is finished it will be the eighth bridge to span the Ayeyarwaddy River.