For people from all over Burma, the Ye-Thanphyuzayart highway is the only was to access the Tenasserim Division in the southeast Mon State. The highway is a coal-tar road spanning 56 miles and 2 furlongs and measures 20 feet wide. The road was constructed in the British Colonial era and has been in use ever since.

“Now, it takes us nearly four hours if when travel by car from Ye to Thanphyuzayart. We have to allow too much time to travel – it is as though it is still the rainy season. There are also many disturbances along the road. In previous years it only took around two hours to travel by car,” said Nai Yin who recently travelled by car along the highway.

A driver for Shwe Le Yadanar Transport spoke of the road conditions, “We can only make our way after filling in holes in some parts of the road. And even then, two vehicles can’t freely make their way at the same time. When a vehicle wants to pass another, one must drive with half of the vehicle off the road.”

In order to maintain and improve the roads and bridges along the Ye-Thanbyuzayat highway, the Ministry of Construction awarded Aye Ko Construction Co., Ltd the 112-mile-6-furlong stretch of road, the Moulmein-Ye-Southern Ma-hlao section. The project was offered on March the 16th this year as a build-operate-transfer (BOT) system, whereby the contracted company is able to collect its invested capital and construction costs after completing the project.

Recently in September, Mi Myint Than, a candidate of the All Mon Region Democracy Party (AMDP) questioned the Aye Ko Construction Co., Ltd in Pyi-Tu Hlutaw Parliament. Than asked why the company had consistently collected tolls along the freeway at about five check points, even though construction and repairs had still not begun.