Myitkyina-Putao Road Reopens After Temporary Closure

Pajau Media Channel

June 25, 2024

The Myitkyina-Putao highway has resumed normal operations as of June 24, following its temporary closure due to a landslide near Tang Ja Village caused by heavy rains on June 21.

Repairs to the affected section were completed on June 24, allowing the road to reopen. Despite this, residents of Putao report that goods prices remain elevated, and travel is still restricted. Goods delivery requires permission from relevant checkpoints, with trucks allowed to travel in limited numbers and under strict regulations.

"Each bus station takes turns exiting one by one, with only six or seven cars allowed at most. We must provide detailed product lists, but fuel transport is prohibited. At the end of the Putao terminal, product lists are inspected before unloading is permitted," explained a trucker.

Motorists must submit product lists to the two armed forces in advance, and only after verification are they allowed to proceed to Putao city, with a maximum of seven vehicles per day.

Due to stringent inspections by the two armed forces along the route, what was previously a one-day trip now takes at least two days, requiring overnight travel. Consequently, goods are still being loaded on a limited basis, and prices remain high. There is also concern that the road could be closed again if fighting resumes.

The highway, closed for nearly three months since early March due to conflict between the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and the Military Council, was initially reopened on June 8 with permission from both armed forces.

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