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For as long as anyone can remember, the road from Kawkareik in Kayin State to the Thai border has only been passable in one direction at a time. One day, traffic goes "up" from southern Myanmar's hinterland; the next it goes "down" from Myawaddy -- the busiest trade post on the Thai-Myanmar frontier. Myawaddy is just opposite the Thai town of Mae Sot.
The poor condition of the road that crosses the Dawna mountain range means the journey of just 32km -- as the crow flies -- can take more than four hours by car. But a new road now nearing completion will cut that time to less than an hour, potentially turning Myawaddy's scrappy border crossing into a major trade hub.
Myanmar state-run media says the new Thai-funded road is not scheduled to open officially until July. But foreign businessmen and locals who can afford the steep tolls are being allowed onto its as-yet unsealed surface.
The road forms part of a long-promised "Asian Highway" that will eventually connect Yangon to Bangkok. Right now it is one of the crucial links still missing in the push by Association of Southeast Asian Nations members to achieve greater connectivity across the region...
