Highways to be upgraded for Rakhine SEZ

The No 2 Union Highway and Kyaukphyu-Magway route will be upgraded for the Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone in Rakhine State, the Ministry of Construction said yesterday.

The SEZ is expected to cost US$280 million to develop and the bidding for contracts is open to foreign investors. The two highways are priority connections to the SEZ.

Myanmar has more than 90,000 kilometres in roads. The ministry has built 36 Union roads linking the North and South and 45 connecting east and west. Their combined length is total miles for those roads are 24,700km.

The rail transport ministry signed a memorandum of understanding with China to build a rail line linking Kyaukphyu with Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province. A study is being conducted to determine whether the railway will damage religious or ancient buildings. The MoU says the rail line will be built according to international standards.

The Ministry of Energy says it is building power lines to provide electricity to the SEZ and Taungup and Thandwe townships, which it said it expected to complete this year.

source: Eleven Myanmar

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