The infrastructural development projects will make a major transport hub in Bago Division

“The New Hanthawaddy International Airport will be implemented as a national project,” Vice-President U Henry Van Thio told the media. The new airport project will be developed on over 9,600 acres of state-owned landon outskirts of Bago City, about 75 km from commercial city Yangon.
The new airport,designed to be built in three phases, includes the construction of an international terminal with capacity for 12 million passengers p/a, a 3,600m runway capable of handling A340 and Boeing 747 aircraft, taxiways, 42 aircraft stands and installation of a baggage handling system and other support systems, according to an aviation website CAPA. Phase 1 of the HIA project is expected to complete in 2027 with the target of 8 million annual passenger handling capacity. It will mainly be composed of one runway with 3,600 metres in length and 45 metres in width, one parallel taxiway, two taxiways, two high-speed taxiways, and other essential facilities. After Phase 3 is completed, which is estimated to be in 2048, it is targeted to reach 30 million annual passenger handling capacity.
The new airport will be the main gateway of Myanmar for attracting tourists and boosting freight economy and trade of the country.The new airport is estimated to cost between US$1.5 billion and US$2 billion to develop and become a major entry for international airlines to use and operate their businesses. Once completed, the airport will be the largest of its kind in Myanmar.The new airport is expected to draw more foreign direct flights to Myanmar and increase tourist arrivals as Bago Region lies on ASEAN highway. Industrial zones and dry ports will also be established in Bago Region as part of the ASEAN Highway, according to Ministry of Construction. The development of the airport will increase commercial and industrial activities around Bago Region and beyond and raise the living standard of locals through the creation of job opportunities.
In addition, the Bago River Bridge (MyoOo Kin) project which started in the financial year 2018-2019 has fully completed recently, according to the bridge construction group. The Bago River Bridge (MyoOo Kin) was built by the Bridge Construction Group 9 of the Department of Bridge under the Ministry of Construction at the cost of K1.758 billion.The Bago River Bridge (MyoOo Kin) is located on SeinThaLyaung and ThameinBaran Roads, which allow vehicles to avoid congested downtown Bago. The Bago River Crossing Bridge (MyoOo Kin) is a two-lane reinforced concrete facility measuring 518 ft. in length and 28 ft. in width.The facility can withstand up to 60 tonnes of weight and have a 6-ft wide pedestrian walkway on each side. The bridge is a steel box girder with the floor of reinforced concrete and its piles are mainly constructed from reinforcement cement concrete. The bridge’s clearance is 39 metres, and waterway under the facility is 3 metres. The bridge is connected with the Bago’s detour and with the road network to Yangon. The construction of the Bago River Bridge (MyoOoKin) started in February 2019 and was completed on November 29 this year.The new bridge is scheduled to be opened to traffic soon. With the opening of the new bridge, traffic congestion in Bago will be reduced to a certain extent, which will help speed up the flow of goods, according to the bridge construction group. Local people near Bago City will be able to use the new bridge in all seasons with greater ease.
The new bridge would contribute to the development of trade in the area, facilitate the swift flow of commodities and reduce transport charges for local people.The new bridge is expected to provide better road transportation for locals and contribute to the balanced growth between rural and urban areas.

(The Global New Light of Myanmar: https://www.gnlm.com.mm/infrastructural-development-projects-to-make-bago-city-a-major-transport-hub/ )

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