Bridges, roads not for economic profit, but for regional development
Mawlamyine Railway Station, Thanlwin Bridge (Mawlamyine) rail bridge open

NAY PYI TAW, 18 April — The opening ceremony of Mawlamyine Railway Station and Thanlwin River Rail Bridge (Mawlamyine) took place at the pandal near the station in Mawlamyine yesterday morning.

Present on the occasion were Member of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Maung Bo of the Ministry of Defence, Chairman of Mon State PDC Commander of South-East Command Maj-Gen Soe Naing, Minister for Mines Brig-Gen Ohn Myint, Minister for Rail Transportation Maj-Gen Aung Min, Deputy Minister for Construction U Tint Swe, Deputy Ministers for Rail Transportation Thura U Thaung Lwin and U Pe Than, Chairman of Kayin State PDC Col Khin Kyu, senior military officers, officials of State Peace and Development Council Office, members of Mon State PDC, departmental personnel at state, district and township levels, engineers and staff of Public Works and Myanma Railways, national races, members of Union Solidarity and Development Association, Women’s Affairs Organization, Maternal and Child Welfare Association, War Veterans Organization, Red Cross Brigade and Auxiliary Fire Brigade, teachers and students, nurses, traditional cultural troupe numbering over 5,500. At the ceremony, Lt-Gen Maung Bo unveiled the stone plaque of Mawlamyine Station and delivered an address. He said that the nation’s longest motor road bridge was opened on 5 February 2005, attended by Head of State Senior General Than Shwe. As the approach structures for the rail bridge are completed on either bank of Thanlwin river, trains as well as cars can use the bridge smoothly. The rail bridge and the Mawlamyine Railway Station can be opened one year after the completion of the road bridge.

The approach structure on the rail bridge on Mawlamyine bank is 1.22 miles long, and on Mottama bank is 1.42 miles long. The total length of the rail bridge is 4.75 miles long. Myanmar engineers made great innovative efforts to build the bridge. It is a politically, economically and socially important bridge for the nation.

Thanks to the bridges in Taninthayi Division and the Thanlwin Bridge (Mawlamyine), transport between Kawthoung and Yangon has become easier.

Concerning the transport sector, Senior General Than Shwe gave guidance, saying, “The government wishes to see the development of all regions of the Union. In this regard, the government has been extending motor roads and railroads, the basic requirement for national and regional development.

As all the national races living in the 14 states and divisions of the nation are brothers and sisters, the government has been sharing the wealth among them and catering for their health. It shows no discrimination against any national race at all. Like the parents, it wishes to see all the nation’s sons and daughters enjoying prosperity and prestige. Bridges and roads are not for economic profits, albeit the cost, they are for regional development. The aim of building the facilities is to develop the locals facing various sufferings caused by insurgency.”

In addition to engineers of Public Works, engineers of Military Engineers and Myanma Railways and other related organizations are being trained to build bridges. The nation now has over 58,000 miles of roads and over 3,000 miles of railroads, up from 21,000 miles and about 2,000 miles respectively in 1988.

The government also built Aungban-Loikaw, Nyaungshwe-Taunggyi-Namhsan-Mongnai railroads in the rough terrain. In Mon State also, it has built a number of bridges, some linking the state with its neighbouring Kayin State. In addition to a network of roads, it has built irrigation facilities and industrial estates.

The State, after designating special development regions, is taking measures to develop education and health sectors of those regions. Moreover, steps are being taken for the development of rural as well as border regions to ensure the equitable development of all parts of the Union.

In doing so, the government is striving its utmost on a self-reliant basis enlisting the strength of the people plus the innovation of service personnel in order to build a modern developed State, said Lt-Gen Maung Bo. All in all, the government hand in hand with the people and the Tatmadaw is trying to improve the incomes of the people and service personnel and education and health of all citizens in the country.

As a result, there has now emerged in Mon State a number of facilities such as universities, colleges and modern hospitals, compared with the previous eras. In addition, the state has seen significant progress in agricultural and transport sectors with dams, sluice gates and bridges across rivers and creeks. Likewise, Mon State is heading for development of industrial and fish and meat sectors. Therefore, Mon State will become economically reliable for the country if the state strives its utmost by making use of already achieved fruitful results. It is necessary for the people of the region to work within the framework of law, to cultivate the sense of national unity and to help the local authorities enforce the rule of law and community peace and tranquillity.

Lt-Gen Maung Bo said it is natural that everyone who values their region and patriotic spirit always wants to see the development of all the regions of the country. It is the duty of all citizens to maintain the development momentum, and cooperation of the people is needed in building a peaceful modern and developed discipline-flourishing democratic nation. That is why all the people are urged to work hard in their respective fields reciprocating the goodwill of the State.

With poverty, low education and lack of community peace and tranquillity, a country cannot see transition to democracy. Therefore, all national people are to make good use of the development facilities built by the State, to guard against all forms of dangers in cooperation with the Tatmadaw and to cultivate Union Spirit.

Speaking on the occasion, Commander Maj-Gen Soe Naing said Thanlwin Bridge (Mawla- myine) is the longest one in Myanmar and its motor road is over two miles long and railroad is over four miles long.

As a gesture of hailing the 58th Anniversary Union Day, the main bridge and approach roads to the motor road of Thanlwin Bridge (Mawlamyine) were opened on 5 February, 2005 in the presence of Head of State Senior General Than Shwe.

The commander quoted Senior General Than Shwe as giving guidance that as the economy of the country has grown and the engineering technique has improved a lot, the Government constructed the bridge which would make a valuable contribution towards improvement of the local people’s living standard.

The completion of the bridge and Mawla- myine Railway Station is the fruits of the efforts of Ministry of Construction and Ministry of Rail Transportation. The rail-cum-road bridge is the pride of the nation.

In the past, the travellers had to cross Thanlwin River by ferry. Although there was a lot of troubles to cross the bridge, now those have become things of the past.

Thanks to the bridge, it will be easy to travel from the northernmost part of Myanmar to the southernmost part by train and by car.

Regarding the transportation sector in Mon State, the length of roads in Mon State has increased from 988 miles in 1988 to over 2615 miles in 2006 while the length of railroads reached 293 miles from 276 miles.

Moreover, a bridge which will also contribute towards the development of Mon State, Kayin State and Taninthayi Division is now under construction near Sittaung Bridge.

The construction of the101.36-mile long Ye-Dawei railroad began in 1994 and was completed on 26 March, 1998. The 850-foot long Ye River crossing bridge on Ye-Dawei road was inaugurated on 25 November 2003 and thus, the Union Highway linking Mon State and Taninthayi Division has emerged.

The Government constructed Thanlwin Bridge (Mawlamyine) and Mawlamyine Railway Station and it could lead to the development of economic, education and health sectors of the region. In conclusion, Commander Maj-Gen Soe Naing thanked the Government saying that the region owed the Government a great debt of gratitude and shall maintain the bridge.

Minister for Rail Transportation Maj-Gen Aung Min also made a speech. He said that the government is building a peaceful, modern and developed nation with the aim of enabling the nation to keep abreast of the world community, of strengthening the national economy and of enhancing the socio-economic life of the people. And the Ministry of Rail Transportation is taking part in the process for ensuring better transport and development of the passenger and commodity transport sector.

The minister quoted the guidance of Head of State Senior General Than Shwe as saying that better transport is imperative for national development; and that roads and bridges were built to bring about equitable development nation-wide and ensure national solidarity.

The rail bridge opened today is the longest facility in Myanmar. In the past, people can travel from Mawlamyine to Dawei on Mawlamyine side, and from Mottama to Yangon on Mottama side by train. And the Thanlwin River made Mawlamyine and Mottama to be apart.

With the emergence of the rail bridge, Mawlamyine and Mottama turned out to be contiguous and access can be made from Dawei in southern part of Myanmar to Myitkyina in northern part of Myanmar by train.

In accord with the guidance of the Head of State, the bridge was built by the Ministry of Rail Transportation and the Ministry of Construction. The project began on 27 April 2003 and was completed on 17 April 2006.

The rail bridge is 1.46 miles with the 2.72 mile-long approach road on Mottama side and the 2.30 mile-long approach road on Mawlamyine side. Earth work, laying of rail road and construction of new Mawlamyine railway station were carried out by the Ministry of Rail Transportation and the main bridge and the approach roads were built by he Ministry of Construction.

The Head of State has given guidance that infrastructures for national development are to be built on a self-reliance basis, using own resources. In accord with the guidance, the two ministries implemented the task on a self-reliance basis, and as a result, the rail bridge plus new railway station have emerged.

The Ministry of Rail Transportation is upgrading railroads, building new rail roads for ensuring smooth and secure transport in the railway sector. Before 1988, the length of railroads in Myanmar was 1,976.35 miles and now, it is 3,074.89 miles with an increase of 1,098.54 miles. Before 1988, there were 487 railway stations in the nation and there are now 787 railway stations. Before 1988, there were 5,650 bridges large and small and there are now 9,380 with an increase of 3,730.

Moreover, the 26 mile-long ChaungU-Pakokku-Gangaw-Kalay railroad, the 4.66 mile-long new railroad for Hantha- wady Airport, the 3.33 mile-long Okphosu-Than- lyin railroad, the five-mile long Kyini-Chauk railroad, the 141.8 mile-long Pyin mana-Myohaung Dwe railroad, 3.90 mile-long Thazi-Kongyanyo railroad and the 24 mile-long Myitkyo-DaikU railroad are under construction.

Deputy Minister for Construction U Tint Lwin gave a speech. Next, a local people expressed his thanks for opening of Mawlamyine station and Thanlwin Bridge (Mawla- myine) rail bridge.

Afterwards, Lt-Gen Maung Bo presented cash prizes to staff from Public Works and Myanma Railways who participated in the construction of Mawlamyine Station and Thanlwin Bridge (Mawla- myine) rail bridge and cordially greeted those present.

After that, Lt-Gen Maung Bo, Commander Maj-Gen Soe Naing, ministers, deputy ministers and guests took positions in front of the station to unveil the stone plaque of the station.

At the auspious time, Lt-Gen Maung Bo unveiled the stone plaque of the station and sprinkled scented water on it and so did Commander Maj-Gen Soe Naing, Ministers Maj-Gen Aung Min and Brig-Gen Ohn Myint.

After opening the station, Lt-Gen Maung Bo and party viewed round the station.

Later, the opening ceremony of Thanlwin Bridge (Mawlamyine) rail bridge followed and Lt-Gen Maung Bo and party took positions at the archway on the platform of the station.

Lt-Gen Maung Bo and party formally opened Thanlwin Bridge (Mawla- myine) rail bridge. Afterwards, they together with engineers and guests posed for documentary.

After that, Lt-Gen Maung Bo cordially greeted the passengers who were taking a Mawla- myine-Yangon Express Train which left Mawla- myine Station.

The lenght of the main Thanlwin rail bridge is 1.46 miles. The approach structure on Mottama bank is 2.72 miles, and on Mawlamyine bank is 2.03 miles. The two-storey Mawlamyine Railway Station is 290 feet long and 110 feet wide. Total floor area is 638,000 square feet.

Source: "The New Light Of Myanmar", www.myanmar.com/nlm