# [MYA] Myanmar/Burma | road infrastructure



## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

*Myanmar*

























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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

In December 2010, Myanmar opened its first motorway, a 580 kilometer long route from the largest city Yangon via the capital Naypyidaw to Mandalay in the center-north. The motorway appears almost completely on Google Earth imagery and seems to have 2x2 lanes with grade-separated interchanges. I haven't been able to find any pictures yet.


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## Bad_Hafen (May 19, 2010)

> The Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge crossing the Moei River was constructed in 1997 completing the link between the two countries. At the entrance of the bridge is the immigration office which is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. The bridge and the fontier have been closed by Burmese government in July 2010.


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## Bad_Hafen (May 19, 2010)

Motorway UC


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## Bad_Hafen (May 19, 2010)

*Aerial View of Yangon-Naypyitaw highway*


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## Bad_Hafen (May 19, 2010)

City roundabout


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## Bad_Hafen (May 19, 2010)

Gravel road leading to Shwekyin










A wooden bridge for all enroute Shwekyin










*Welcome to Shwekyin*










Along Yangon-Bago (Pegu) highway


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## Bad_Hafen (May 19, 2010)

the highway to Bago entrance. toll fee = 0.1 USD



















The bridge in Burma


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## Bad_Hafen (May 19, 2010)

Tollbooth, Yangon-Naypyidaw highway


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## and802 (Jul 14, 2009)

I have been there in late 2009 for a couple of weeks. that time I was not so interested in a road infrastructure. all I remember the trip from Yangon to Taunggyi (via Nay Pyi Taw) took several hours. that time there were only some stetches of dual carrigeway close to the capital. in capital itself roads were fantstic, completely different from the rest of country, which at least half of the country is completely imapassable by car (only air/river). the reality looks slightly different than the pictures taken at yangon downtown.

yangon
http://img715.imageshack.us/img715/102/p1040571t.jpg
http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/7325/p1040994fu.jpg
http://img824.imageshack.us/img824/3489/p1040925v.jpg
http://img825.imageshack.us/img825/1688/p1040933i.jpg


bagan aera
http://img854.imageshack.us/img854/2601/p1040746.jpg

rurals
http://img824.imageshack.us/img824/6831/p1040778.jpg


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

New six-lane bridge in eastern Yangon.









The Yangon - Mandalay exit at Naypyidaw.









New streets in Naypyidaw.


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## Nima-Farid (Jul 13, 2010)

Any road signs or road numbering system in the country?


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## Green Guy (Sep 6, 2011)

Bad_Hafen said:


> Tollbooth, Yangon-Naypyidaw highway


Interesting to see that not only have they kept the imperial system, they use furlongs on their road signs as well. In other imperial countries, like the US, the furlong has long been a deprecated unit (except in horse racing) and a distance of 2 furlongs would instead be shown as "1/4 mile" on a road sign.


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## Arnorian (Jul 6, 2010)

USA, Liberia and Burma are the only remaining countries not using SI. I understand America being stubborn, and Liberia copying America, but I don't understand Myanmar.


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

Nima-Farid said:


> Any road signs or road numbering system in the country?


According to Google Maps there is a road numbering system, but I've never seen a sign with a road number. I don't even know what their road numbering shields look like. It's possibly more like an administrative system, considering most roads remain unpaved. Decades of isolation didn't bring Myanmar any good, in the 1940's it was expected that Myanmar would become one of the most prosperous nations in southeast Asia.


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## Satyricon84 (Feb 3, 2009)

*Dawei-Maungmagan road*


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## Satyricon84 (Feb 3, 2009)

Part 2


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## Satyricon84 (Feb 3, 2009)

*Dawei*
It's a city in southeastern Myanmar and is capital of Tanintharyi Region, situated about 614.3 km (381.7 mi) south of Yangon on the northern bank of the Dawei River. Only recently Dawei was connected to the rest of Myanmar by road and rail. In November 2010, the Myanmar Port Authority signed a USD $8.6 billion deal with Italian-Thai Development to develop a deep sea port at Dawei. This development would become Myanmar's first Special Economic Zone, which includes plans to develop a 250 square kilometres (97 sq mi) industrial estate, with sea, land (railway and road) infrastructure links to Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, as well as a gas pipeline to Thailand’s Kanchanaburi Province and commercial and residential developments.


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## Satyricon84 (Feb 3, 2009)

Part 2


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## Satyricon84 (Feb 3, 2009)

Part 3






























































































































:cheers:


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## Satyricon84 (Feb 3, 2009)

*Maungmagan*
It's a village and beach located approximately 12 kilometers north-west of Dawei (45-minutes drive away). It is the second oldest beach locale established in Myanmar after Ngapali. It was a popular beach destination in Myanmar until the establishment of Chaungtha which was much more closer to Yangon. The beach is being redeveloped by the Burmese government as a stop over for the much promoted ecotourism to the Myeik Archipelago. 
















































































































































Maungmagan Beach


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## Satyricon84 (Feb 3, 2009)

*Myeik*
It is a city in Tanintharyi Region in Myanmar, located in the extreme south of the country on the coast of an island on the Andaman Sea, with a population of over 209,000. The area inland from the city is a major smuggling corridor into Thailand. Tourism in the area is restricted to cruises as land based accommodations are currently non-existent on the islands. This keeps the area very attractive as low impact tourism preserves the area's natural beauty.


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## Satyricon84 (Feb 3, 2009)

Part 2


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## Satyricon84 (Feb 3, 2009)

Part 3












































































































:cheers:


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## Satyricon84 (Feb 3, 2009)

*Yangon/Rangoon*
It is a former capital of Burma and the capital of Yangon Region. Although the military government has officially relocated the capital to Naypyidaw since March 2006 Yangon, with a population of over four million, continues to be the country's largest city and the most important commercial centre. Yangon has a 4456-km road network of all types (tar, concrete and dirt). The vast majority of Yangonites cannot afford a car and rely on an extensive network of buses to get around. Over 300 public and private bus lines operate about 6,300 crowded buses around the city, carrying over 4.4 million passengers a day. Motor transportation in Yangon is highly expensive for most of its citizens. As the government allows only a few thousand cars to be imported each year in a country with over 50 million people, car prices in Yangon (and in Burma) are among the highest in the world. Since 1970, cars have been driven on the right side of the road in Burma, as part of a military decree. Within Yangon city limits, it is illegal to drive trishaws, bicycles, and motorcycles.


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## Satyricon84 (Feb 3, 2009)

*Yangon/Rangoon*


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## Satyricon84 (Feb 3, 2009)

*Yangon/Rangoon*


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## Satyricon84 (Feb 3, 2009)

*Yangon/Rangoon*


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## Satyricon84 (Feb 3, 2009)

*Yangoon/Rangoon*


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## Satyricon84 (Feb 3, 2009)

*Yangoon/Rangoon*


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## Gag Halfrunt (Jun 25, 2006)

Satyricon84 said:


> As the government allows only a few thousand cars to be imported each year in a country with over 50 million people, car prices in Yangon (and in Burma) are among the highest in the world.


I saw a report on Channel 4 News here in the UK today about how the Burmese economy is beginning to open up.


> Burma's biggest city Rangoon is experiencing a resurgence in its fortunes as the country's new civilian government takes charge of the country's economy.
> 
> The city missed out on the Asian boom as Burma's military rulers mismanaged the nation's natural resources.
> 
> ...


The car import trade is no longer monopolised by a handful of politically well-connected entrepreneurs, but car prices are still high. The reporter meets a used car dealer who's asking $18,000 for a little Daewoo. A few years ago, the dealer says, it would have cost $100,000.


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## Satyricon84 (Feb 3, 2009)

Gag Halfrunt said:


> I saw a report on Channel 4 News here in the UK today about how the Burmese economy is beginning to open up.
> 
> The car import trade is no longer monopolised by a handful of politically well-connected entrepreneurs, but car prices are still high. The reporter meets a used car dealer who's asking $18,000 for a little Daewoo. A few years ago, the dealer says, it would have cost $100,000.


That's a good news, but let's hope that the government will open to the construction and improvement of new roads too, otherwise the traffic will be crazy, especially in Yangon where motos and bicycles are forbidden


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## Satyricon84 (Feb 3, 2009)

Bridge along the Yangon-Mandalay Road









Checkpoint or future tollgate? on the Yangon-Mandalay Road









Yangon-Mandalay Expressway









This should be a rest area along the Yangon-Mandalay Expressway


















115 Mile Rest area, very modern



























The expressway


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## and802 (Jul 14, 2009)

some Yangon downtown infrastructure pictures:



















































































... and countryside t-junction (Bagan aera)













most of the cars have steering wheel on the right.


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

*Yangon - Mandalay Expressway*

https://maps.google.com/?ll=21.824931,95.994029&spn=0.024461,0.052314&t=k&z=15

New imagery reveals the northernmost part of the Yangon - Mandalay Expressway in Mandalay opened as well, but it's not a real expressway, the intersections are roundabouts. Although it's a 4-lane divided highway, it has some very sharp turns as well.


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## and802 (Jul 14, 2009)

ChrisZwolle said:


> https://maps.google.com/?ll=21.824931,95.994029&spn=0.024461,0.052314&t=k&z=15
> 
> ... but it's not a real expressway, the intersections are roundabouts. Although it's a 4-lane divided highway, it has some very sharp turns as well.


of course, for the government the most important thing is to show the result. in this particular case is: 4-lane highway. 

the level of infrastructure knowledge is different in Burma as well as local expectations. and of course traffic volume is not as demanding as a need to have no roundabouts/the-same-level intersections.

do not know exactly how much time the whole project took, but driving there in 2009 I could see only very first tasks on some sections. so the result (within short period of time) is not bad really


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## mmib (Mar 23, 2009)

Yangon-Naypyidaw-Mandalay Expressway was built by the government, also owner is not the private company, specially the ministry of public work ( construction ) is responsible for the expressway. They have financial and technological problems to build the flyover crossing and international standard intersection.


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## mmib (Mar 23, 2009)

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yangon-Mandalay_Expressway


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## mmib (Mar 23, 2009)

YMEW about 15miles from YGN









YMEW 115miles recreation 









YMEW YangonTollGate


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## CborG (Dec 2, 2003)

A video made by me and my girlfriend about the 13 hour bus trip from Inle Lake to Bagan, not something i would like to repeat in the near future :crazy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSbTK3ox-t0&feature=share&list=UUJYUxcBT2zABKwjUALUcxQA
qSbTK3ox


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## Losbp (Nov 20, 2012)

They began to use km/h on roadsigns apparently


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

Dutch signage by HR Groep is coming to Myanmar:


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

Naypyidaw roundabouts


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## Innsertnamehere (Jun 8, 2010)

well those would not function at all if there was even a semblance of traffic on those roads.


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

*Yangon - Mandalay Expressway*

The Yangon - Mandalay Expressway is known for the extreme number of traffic deaths on it. 

109 killed, nearly 800 injured in highway traffic accidents in Myanmar in 11 months 

A total of 109 people were killed and about 800 people injured in traffic accidents on Myanmar's Yangon-Mandalay highway in 11 months this year, local media The Voice reported Sunday.​
Full report: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-12/03/c_136797243.htm

In 2009-2015 over 600 deaths occurred on the expressway.

Expressways are normally the safest road type, due to separated traffic and no cross traffic. In the Netherlands, over 70 billion kilometers are driven on the 2400 kilometer motorway network, resulting in circa 35 deaths per year. If you compare that to Myanmar, where there is only a fraction of the traffic, the fatality rate is beyond absurd.


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## Kanadzie (Jan 3, 2014)

^^ considering the political regime there I wonder how many are "accidents"


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## Losbp (Nov 20, 2012)

ChrisZwolle said:


> Expressways are normally the safest road type, due to separated traffic and no cross traffic. In the Netherlands, over 70 billion kilometers are driven on the 2400 kilometer motorway network, resulting in circa 35 deaths per year. If you compare that to Myanmar, where there is only a fraction of the traffic, the fatality rate is beyond absurd.


Well you can already see how "safe" highways are in Myanmar is:
















Fairly narrow and uneven concrete roads, very sharp curves knowing that the speed limit is 100 km/h (seen in the video). And look at those creepy curbs in the median. Add this to the Burmese driving style, I'm pretty sure that accident rate is accountable (I would not even call this as a highway nor expressway by looking into their geometrics) hno:


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## Losbp (Nov 20, 2012)

Roads in Yangon






Naypyidaw


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

*Yangon - Mandalay Expressway*

* 116 killed, over 800 injured in traffic accidents on Myanmar's highway in 2017 *

A total of 116 people have been killed, 863 injured in traffic accidents on Myanmar's Yangon-Mandalay highway in 2017, the official Global New Light of Myanmar reported Tuesday.

A total of 555 traffic accidents cases occurred on the country's busiest highway last year, due to the reckless, drowsy driving, road slip, over speeding and other reasons.

There were 744 traffic accidents killing 170 people with 1,304 others injured in 2016.​
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-01/02/c_136866937.htm

hno:


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

*$484 Million ADB Loan to Fund New GMS Expressway in Myanmar*

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $483.8 million loan to build a 64-kilometer (km) expressway connecting the capital of Bago region and the township of Kyaikto in Mon state in Myanmar and support economic development along the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) East–West Economic Corridor. 

The expressway will include a 2.3-km bridge across the Sittaung River. The Japan International Cooperation Agency will finance the New Sittaung Bridge construction with a 27.78 billion Japanese yen ($254.8 million equivalent) loan.






$484 Million ADB Loan to Fund New GMS Expressway in Myanmar


ADB has approved a $483.8 million loan to build a 64-km expressway connecting the capital of Bago region and the township of Kyaikto in Mon state in Myanmar and support economic development along the GMS East–West...




www.adb.org





That would be here:


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## VITORIA MAN (Jan 31, 2013)

Myanmar, Mon State, Mawlamyine District, Ye Township, Koe Maing Village Tract by Michael Mechthold-Jin, en Flickr


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