Myanmar will implement an elevated expressway project at the inner ring road of Yangon city and the project's first phase will be undertaken in the east wing of the city, Myanmar News Agency reported Thursday.

Tender for the first phase of elevated four-lane ring road expressway project is underway with pre-qualification applications being submitted and the selected companies will be announced at the end of this month.

The tender program, which began in September, was jointly conducted by the Ministry of Construction and the International Finance Cooperation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group.

The Ministry of Construction has invited expression of interest from local and international firms in May for developing the project in Yangon.

The firms are to design, engineer, and finance, construct, operate and maintain the project through a long-term public-private partnership concession agreement.

The 47.5-km elevated toll road will connect downtown Yangon, Yangon Port, Yangon International Airport, Mingaladon Industrial Park and the Yangon-Mandalay expressway.

With a national road network, the Yangon urban structure will be decentralized to outer areas or to southern seaport.