The 2nd Thai-Myanmar Friendship bridge, spanning the Moei river and linking the border towns of Mae Sot and Myawaddy, is set to open tomorrow, with Thai junta leader Prayut Chan-o-cha, and Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi in attendance.
The project, paid for by Thailand, cost an estimated 4.28 billion baht ($135.23 million) and includes border-crossing facilities as well as a number of adjacent government buildings, according to Eleven Media, according to Eleven Media.
As you might guess by its name, the 2nd Thai-Myanmar Friendship bridge follows the building of the original Thai-Myanmar friendship bridge in 1997, the first-ever to connect the two cities — and indeed the two countries.
That structure celebrated its 20th anniversary two years ago, and has long been a key transit point for trade between Myanmar and Thailand.
Both bridges were built following the signing of 1997’s Cross-Border Transport Agreement, a pact designed to facilitate the transportation of people and goods between Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and China.
The bridge was originally expected to be completed in the middle of last year, but unexpected delays postponed the finish date.
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