Locals call for repair of rural bridge in Kyaukphyu Twsp village

By DMG 31 May 2021

DMG Newsroom
31 May 20121, Kyaukphyu

Residents of Pyar Kywein village in Kyaukphyu Township, Arakan State, have demanded that the local bridge be repaired in a timely manner due to the collapse of its wooden beams.

The 120-foot-long, 11-foot-wide bridge was built in 2015 and is made of wood under a steel girder. Locals said the bridge, located in the Thaing Chaung village-tract, was currently difficult for passengers and drivers to traverse.

U Tun Maung Aye from Sinbok village said that it would be difficult for locals to travel to Kyaukphyu town at night for safety reasons.

“The bridge collapsed on May 29, making it difficult for motorists to cross. People in rural areas in Kyaukphyu face difficulties when patients have to travel late at night for health reasons. The bridge is inaccessible even during the day, so drivers don’t want to go,” he said.

Ko Maung Thein Soe from Kyaungtin village said the bridge needs to be repaired as soon as possible amid the onset of the rainy season.

“If the bridge is not built, the local people will not be able to go at all. Rural people may face many difficulties during the rainy season,” he said.

Rural residents from more than 20 villages, including Sinbok, Ngalonesu, Mawgyi and Kyaungtin, travel to Kyaukphyu town by vehicle and motorbike via the bridge.

When DMG contacted the Kyaukphyu Township municipal officer about bridge repair prospects, he asked to be contacted the next day.