The Acting President and Chairman of the State Security and Peace Commission (SSPC) Senior General Min Aung Hlaing attended an auspicious ceremony to place concrete for the connection of the Myanmar-Korea Friendship (Dala) Bridge in Yangon Region on the morning of October 10, according to sources.

Senior General Min Aung Hlaing laid concrete to connect the parts of the bridge with the use of a controller.

The ceremony was attended by the Commission Secretary and Joint Chief Executive General Ye Win Oo, Union Ministers U Mya Htun Oo, Dr Charlie Than and U Myo Thant, Yangon Region Chief Minister U Soe Thein, senior military officers from the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services, the Commander of the Yangon Command and officials.

The SSPC Chairman and members of the delegation arrived at the venue for the grand ceremony of pouring concrete for the bridge, where they were welcomed by Union Ministers and officials, and Union Minister for Construction U Myo Thant explained the details of the Myanmar-Korea Friendship (Dala) Bridge project.

Then, the master of ceremonies explained the details of the Myanmar-Korea Friendship (Dala) Bridge.

Then, the SSPC Chairman presented fruit gifts to the engineering teams that participated in the Myanmar-Korea Friendship (Dala) Bridge construction project.

Then, at the ceremony, the SSPC Chairman opened the grand ceremony of pouring concrete for the Myanmar-Korea Friendship (Dala) Bridge using the controller.

Then, the acting president and members sprayed perfume on the area, where the concrete was poured and the bridge was connected.

The acting president and members inspected the construction status of the bridge, and the acting president made necessary recommendations based on the reports of the officials.

The Myanmar-Korea Friendship (Dala) Bridge construction project was discussed during President U Thein Sein’s goodwill visit to South Korea in 2012 to implement a Myanmar-Korea Friendship Project in Myanmar. The project was implemented in 2013, and pre-engineering and design work was started in 2015 to begin construction work. The current government was able to complete the bridge construction project after overcoming the difficulties and delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic during the construction period.

The bridge is a four-lane cable-stayed bridge. The main bridge is 2,264 feet long with the road approaching the bridge from Yangon is 1,891 feet long and the road approaching the bridge from Dala is 1,972 feet long. The roads approaching the bridge from Yangon and Dala are 3,453 feet in length, and the total length of the entire bridge is 6,127 feet. The Myanmar-Korea Friendship (Dala) Bridge is the highest free-floating steel cable-stayed bridge in Myanmar. It has a clear height of 160 feet and a width of 990 feet, allowing large international and domestic ships of up to 15,000 tonnes to pass under the bridge. The bridge has a load capacity of 75 tonnes per vehicle. Myanmar engineers have gained experience in designing, constructing, modern technologies, and methods for steel cable-stayed bridges.

Once the bridge is completed and opened, it will be possible to travel easily and quickly from Yangon to Dala, Twantay, Kawhmu, and Kungyangon townships in Yangon Region, and to towns in Ayeyawady Region including Dedaye, Pyapon, Bogale and coastal areas via Dedaye. The current traffic congestion in Yangon will be alleviated to some extent. It will develop in all sectors including social, economic, educational, health, and transportation sectors, and will become a landmark of Yangon.