Work is expected to begin soon on a road connecting Kanchanaburi in Thailand and Dawei in Myanmar, once the Myanmar government has granted approval for the project.

According to Thai media reports, Myanmar’s government will give formal approval for the project in coming months, after which the Thai government will need to approve a 4 billion baht (US$ 120 million) loan to Myanmar before construction can begin on the 138- kilometre road.

Upon completion, the road will cut travel time from Kanchanaburi to Dawei from four hours to two and a half hours. Dawei, in Tanintharyi Region, is the site of the US$50 billion Dawei Special Economic Zone, which will be one of the largest projects of its kind in Southeast Asia once completed.