The strategically important Myawady–Kawkareik section of the new Asia Highway, crossing the Dawna Mountain range along the Myanmar–Thailand border trade route, will reopen on April 2, 2026, according to sources.
A border trade businessman from Myawady said that an opening ceremony will be held on the same day, where Buddhist monks will be invited to deliver protective prayers before the road is officially reopened.
“Yes, the road will reopen tomorrow, April 2, after a prayer ceremony. However, we have not yet heard any news about reopening the No. 2 Friendship Bridge, which is vital for border trade. The Asia Highway will currently only be accessible to passenger vehicles. For trade to fully resume, import and export licenses must be issued to allow legal cross-border commerce. We hope both the highway and border trade will be fully reopened soon,” he said.
The route had been closed to traffic since December 1, 2024, due to fighting in Kawkareik and near Thingan Nyinaung in Myawady.
As a result of the closure, border trade was also halted. Travelers were forced to use older and more difficult routes such as the old Myawady–Kawkareik road, the 1018 road, Htokawko road, and Kyat-U mountain road, leading to increased transportation costs ranging from over 100,000 to 200,000 kyats per person.
The Myawady–Kawkareik Dawna Mountain Asia Highway, a key economic corridor in the Greater Mekong Subregion, was originally opened on November 30, 2016.
