By Swe Oo Wai
IT is not a new story that the Yangonites always face traffic congestion in Yangon with the hustle and bustle of city life. In a bid to reduce the passage of time spent taking vehicles such as cars and trains, measures are being taken to implement Yangon Elevated Expressway project.
The preparatory work for the project will begin at the end of July in 2020. The winning bidder for Yangon elevated expressway project would be announced in April, said Deputy Director-General U Kyi Zaw Myint of Bridge Department under the Ministry of Construction. Yangon Elevated Expressway project which has drawn a great interest from the public since some time will begin construction tasks in the near future.
Proposals to be submitted Ten prequalified bidders will have to submit an investment proposal for the project in late March. The winning bidder will be chosen among ten prequalified bidders.
The tender winner will be selected in accord with rules and regulations. It is required to pick a qualified bidder meeting criteria. Now the responsible persons are meeting the parliamentarians and local people from the relevant townships the elevated expressway project will pass through and briefing them about the project.
The responsible persons explained implementation processes and facts about the project to the parliamentarians and the officials from the Ministry of Construction who discussed with local people from the townships through which the project will pass. While the responsible persons were explaining the facts about the project to the locals who are residing along the route of the project, they dealt with what the latter demanded and lost as much as they could. The responsible persons are negotiating with the victims for some buildings existing in the project area. Yangon elevated expressway project will be implemented on a basis of public-private partnership through collaborative efforts by the Ministry of Construction and Yangon Region Government.
Two phases in Yangon elevated expressway project
Yangon elevated expressway project has been divided into two phases. The project will consist of a four-lane elevated road of 47.5 kilometres that will link the south of Yangon, which includes Yangon Port and Thilawa Special Economic Zone, to the north side of the city, where the Yangon International Airport, Mingaladon Industrial Park and the Yangon-Mandalay Expressway are located.
Phase one of the project will involve a 27.5 km four-lane ring road connecting east and west of Yangon, as well as the Yangon International Airport. The phase one of the project will start from upper Pazundaung, then passing through Waizayanda, Thudama, Khayaypin and finally lower Mingaladon roundabout. The tender developer for the implementation of the phase one of the project will be announced in April.
It is expected that the implementation of the phase one of the project will cost an estimated US$620million and it will take for five years. The companies that proposed implementing the phase one of the project are the consortiums from the international community.
These consortiums are from Republic of Korea, China, Japan, Thailand and the Philippines and they include local business organizations and foreign groups of companies. A total of 12 prequalification applications were received in September in 2018.
Selection of 10 prequalified bidders for Yangon elevated expressway project
Out of 12 local and international companies that had submitted prequalification applications, 10 were named prequalified bidders for Yangon elevated expressway project. The shortlisted companies include a Chinese-Myanmar consortium, a Thai-Japanese-Myanmar consortium, a Thai-Chinese consortium, four companies from China and one each from France, Korea, and Japan. The Ministry of Construction during 2018 announced a shortlist of pre-qualified companies as contenders for the contract to build an elevated expressway in Yangon. The winning developer will be opted by passing judgment on criteria of finance, quality, work experience and work performance.
Construction on key places
Yangon elevated expressway project will connect key places such downtown Yangon as, Yangon port, Yangon international airport, Mindaladon industrial zone, and Yangon-Mandalay expressway. In addition to Yangon, the project will help raise socio-economic life of Myanmar as well.
Moreover, various types of businesses, industrial zones, special economic zones and local and foreign companies concentrate in Yangon. Therefore, travel, commodity flow and transport must happen at exactly the right time. The plan to speedily implement Yangon elevated expressway seems to be a dream for the commuters in Yangon.
Emergence of an economic corridor With Yangon seeing the development of urbanization, Yangon elevated expressway capable of fulfilling the needs for modern equitable development in transport sector is going to come onto the horizon. What is more it will appear as an economic corridor that can connect downtown Yangon with seaports, inland jetties existing on the outskirts where new satellite towns are situated. If the project is finished as scheduled, Yangon will emerge into a world-class city with all-round development.
Translated by Htut Htut (Twantay)
