Myanmar : Second Greater Mekong Subregion Highway Modernization Project (formerly GMS East-West Economic Corridor Highway Development

Transport / Road transport (non-urban)

The GMS road corridors are the backbone of Myanmars transport system. The EWEC connects Thailand with Yangon and its special economic zone of Thilawa, and then onwards to Pathein, the capital of the Ayeyarwaddy delta. Improvements to this corridor will reduce national transport costs and improve regional connectivity with Thailand, and onwards to the GMS region. The Thailand, Lao PDR and Viet Nam sections of the corridor have been completed to high standards, and border facilities improved. However, most of the GMS EWEC road corridor in Myanmar has only two lanes, with a pavement in fair to poor condition; road safety features are generally missing. The alignment is long, crosses urban areas, and its low standards often make it unsafe for speeds higher than 40-60 kph.

The technical assistance will prepare a feasibility study for a project to address capacity issues on the Bago-Kyaikto section of the EWEC where the current two-lane road experiences high traffic. A pre-feasibility study prepared by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) showed that the section would reach capacity between 2020 and 2025. Upgrading the current road is not the preferred solution, as it would come with high resettlement impacts, and because the alignment is long and winding in several areas. The project involves instead the construction of a new arterial highway shorter by 32 km than the current alignment, which will halve travel time. The new arterial highway will be about 62 km long, and includes a 2.3 km bridge upon the Sittaung River.

An arterial highway network supporting economic development, regional economic growth, and international industrial competitiveness in a way that is safe, environmentally-friendly and efficient is established (Master Plan for Arterial Road Network Development in Myanmar)a

More efficient and safer movement of goods and people between Bago and Kyaikto, along the GMS EWEC

New Bago-Kyaikto highway constructed

Rural access roads completed

Capacity of MOC enhanced

ADB recruited a consulting firm for a total estimated 52.5 person-months international consultant input and 90 person-months national consultant input. The mode of recruitment was under quality-cost based selection method (90:10 quality to cost ratio), using output-based terms of reference, and full technical proposal.

PADECO Co., Ltd. and Yooshin Engineering Corporation in association with Myanmar International Consultants, Ltd. and PADECO India Pvt. Ltd. have been engaged by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to implement the transactional TA (9314). The Consultant mobilized on 11 December 2017.