Bridge completed for Myanmar-China gas pipeline

Kunming (China), Oct 24 (IANS) A bridge on the Lancang River in southwest China's Yunnan Province was completed Wednesday, marking a major step in the completion of a Myanmar-China gas pipeline project, which is expected to go into operation next year, reported Xinhua.

The bridge is located in a border area between the city of Baoshan and the Bai autonomous prefecture of Dali.

"The bridge is a key part of the pipeline and one of the most difficult engineering projects, given the complicated geographical conditions," said Hu Hanzhou, general manager of China Railway Major Bridge Engineering Group Co. Ltd., the builder of the bridge.

The pipeline will be of great significance for the economic development of west China, Myanmar and southeast Asia, Hu added.

Construction on the pipeline began in 2010, with separate lines for gas and oil. The lines start in Kyaukpyu in Myanmar and run through the Chinese provinces of Yunnan and Guizhou, as well as the city of Chongqing and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

The oil pipeline has a designed transport capacity of 22 million tonnes per year, while the natural gas pipeline has a designed transport capacity of 12 billion cubic metres annually.