Phyo/Thuta Kyaw  (NSS) - September 2 

A source close to the Ministry of Construction told The Statesman that the Dokhtawaddy Bridge, which is being rebuilt after being damaged by the Mandalay earthquake, is expected to open before the end of this year. 

The bridge, located at mile marker (358) of the Yangon-Mandalay Expressway, is an important bridge for direct travel from Tada- U International Airport to Mandalay. The damage to the bridge has disrupted road connectivity, forcing travelers to take the Tada U-Plaig Road to Mandalay instead.

The damage to the bridge has caused a detour, increasing travel time to Mandalay, causing inconvenience to residents of Tada- U Township.

“The bridge is mostly finished. One of the piers in the middle of the bridge was not finished because the water rose, so that’s the only part left. There are still a few parts left, but most of them are finished. Most of the ramps are also finished, and all that’s left is to pour the concrete. We plan to open it before December or the end of the year,” the source said.

The new Dokhtawaddy Bridge is being built using steel box girders and pre-stressed concrete beams, and has been calculated according to the earthquake resistance standards of the Myanmar National Building Code 2025. 

In addition, Earthquake Bearings are used on the main bridge and High Damping Rubber Bearings (HDRB) are used on the approach bridge.

“The bearings used will be able to withstand their specified load capacity,” he said.

He said that the construction of the Swa Creek Bridge (to Yangon) at 165-mile mark on the Yangon-Mandalay Expressway is currently underway and is expected to be completed by April, the end of this fiscal year.

“The Swa Creek Bridge at 165-mile is expected to open at end of this fiscal year. It is expected to be completed around April. It is a bridge on the away side. Dokhtawaddy is a bridge with an away and a return lane. It will be a single four-lane bridge, with two lanes in each direction,” he said. –