GUWAHATI, May 16 - India has commenced work on a 120-km road inside Myanmar, a road that is part of the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway which is expected to give a massive boost to surface connectivity and trade in Southeast Asia in the backdrop of the Act East policy.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has been appointed as technical executing agency for upgradation of the Kalewa-Yargi road in the Sagaing region, a project that will cost around Rs 1,177 crore. The present condition of the road is poor and has earthen and gravel top in majority length.
The Trilateral Highway starts from Moreh (Manipur) in India up to Mae Sot in Thailand through Myanmar. Construction of a 130-km-long stretch of the road connecting Moreh (India)/Tamu (Myanmar) to Kalewa in Myanmar has already been completed by the Border Roads Organisation of India.
The remaining stretch � Yargi-Moywa-Mandalay-Moe Sot � will be taken up by the governments of Myanmar and Thailand.
Raj Chakrabarty, Chief General Manager (Northeast), NHAI, Guwahati, who is overseeing the prestigious project, said bids have been invited for the Kalewa-Yargi project. �We expect to start the work on ground after the rainy season. We should be able to complete the project within three years,� he said.
�Currently we do not have direct flight connectivity with most southeast Asian countries. This road will be a vital link between India and Southeast Asia as it will link up to Bangkok and Singapore via Myanmar. It will open landlocked Northeast to Southeast Asia,� he said.
The highway will allow freight and container trucks to move across the borders from India to Myanmar and Thailand and play a crucial role in boosting trade and investment in the three countries.
Chakrabarty, along with one officer from NHAI and representatives from eleven reputed construction agencies and consultants of India visited the project site along with the officers of the Department of Highways (DoH), Myanmar in connection with a pre-bid site visit recently. The team along with the Consulate General of India, Mandalay, had a meeting with officials of the Department of Highways, Ministry of Construction, Myanmar at capital Nay Pyi Taw. The Myanmar Government committed all help for successful implementation of the project.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), India and Department of Highways (DoH) of the Ministry of Construction, Myanmar are nodal agencies for implementation of this project.