The construction of highway in Myanmar's southeastern Kayin state, a part of the Asian Highway network, is estimated to complete by May, a local weekly reported in its latest issue.

The 14.4-kilometer Myawaddy-Thingan Nyinaung section of the highway is being constructed with the assistance of Thailand, the Voice quoted local sources as saying.

The Asia highway network is being set up under an inter- governmental agreement signed in China's Shanghai in April 2004, by 26 out of 32 member countries of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).

The Myanmar section of the highway will be 2,000 kilometers long, which connects the country to China, India and Thailand, providing a link through Asia to Europe.

Upgrading of the roads is being conducted with the assistance of these three countries, government construction officials said.

The Myanmar section of routes, which covers Yangon, Bagan and Mandalay as well as other targeted routes, will be upgraded on the basis of current roads, to make them wider from single lane to two lanes, and more durable to withstand 60 tons of load to meet the set standard under the agreement.

The Asian highway constitutes a network of 140,000 km of roads crossing the continent and linking up to Europe. The network, which will signify promotion of regional integration and cooperation, is expected to be completed by 2010.

The highway plan was initiated by ESCAP in 1959 and revised at a meeting of 32 countries held in Bangkok in 2003.

Source: Xinhua