A major river-crossing bridge at Pakokku, spanning Myanmar's Ayeyawaddy River and constituting part of the India-Myanmar-Thai tripartite highway project, has been commissioned into service on the year-end day of 2011, official media reported Sunday.

Built by the State Public Works under the Construction Ministry, the Pakokku Ayeyawaddy Bridge which, extends as 3.4 kilometers long with 4-kilometer motorway and 6.17-kilometer railroad, said the New Light of Myanmar.

The Pakokku Ayeyawaddy river-crossing bridge, cornerstoned in December 2009 and inaugurated on Saturday, is among the four new Ayeyawaddy river-crossing bridges under implementation. The other three are Malun, Yadana Theinga and Sinkham.

The Pakokku Ayeyawaddy river-crossing bridge, which constitutes part of the highway project implemented by India, Myanmar and Thailand, links Letpanchepaw in Bagan Nyaung Oo, Mandalay region, on the east bank of the river and Pakokku, Magway region, on the west bank in order to have easy access to Kalewa and Tamu bordering India through Myawaddy in Kayin state connecting Thailand.

According to official statistics, a total of 10 Ayeyawaddy river-crossing bridges, namely Inwa, Nawade, Maubin, Bala Min Htin, Bo Myat Tun, Anawrahta, Magway, Daydaye, Yadanabon and Nyaungdon, had been constructed over the past two decades as milestones of the country and all the remaining three new Ayeyawaddy river- crossing bridges on completion will bring the total number of such bridges to 14.

There has been a total of 18 bridges across rivers in Myanmar including those across Ayeyawaddy, Chindwin, Thanlwin and Sittoung rivers.

Besides the river-crossing bridges, the country sees 6,620 bridges of under 54 meters and 463 bridges of above the length at present, up from 3,305 and 198 respectively in 1988.