YANGON, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar official media on Thursday underlined the completion of a sectional expressway connecting the former capital of Yangon and the new capital of Nay Pyi Taw as a milestone in its national construction endeavor.

    The 323-kilometer Yangon-Nay Pyi Taw concrete expressway, part of the 518-kilometer expressway linking Yangon and the second largest city of Mandalay in the north, was inaugurated on Wednesday.

    "For Myanmar engineers to be able to finish the construction of the union expressway is a milestone in our endeavors and something the government and the people should be proud of," the New Light of Myanmar quoted First Secretary of the State Peace and Development Council Lieutenant-General Thiha Thura Tin Aung Myint Oo as saying.

    "During the period of more than 40 years after regaining independence, foreign technicians were hired for nation building work. Some projects were unsuccessful although large amounts of money were spent, " he said at the inaugural ceremony, however, adding that "Nowadays, these failed projects can be successfully implemented due to self-reliant efforts of Myanmar technicians".

    The two-way two-lane Yangon-Nay Pyi Taw expressway, claimed to be an international standard one, was jointly built by engineers of the state-run Public Works and the Defense Ministry.

    With a capacity of bearing a load of 80 tons, the sectional expressway, comprising 75 underpasses, started building in April 2005.

    The Yangon-Nay Pyi Taw sectional expressway, which can be covered in four hours instead of 8 hours using the old existing expressway, starts from the junction of No. 3 Highway in Yangon's Hlegu township and ends at C junction of Nay Pyi Taw.

    The remaining section of the Yangon-Mandalay expressway, which is Nay Pyi Taw-Mandalay ending in Sagainn area, is projected to complete by 2010.

    Myanmar moved its administrative capital from Yangon to Nay Pyi Taw in November 2005.

    Nay Pyi Taw is located between middle mountain range of Bago Yoma and eastern mountain range of Shan Yoma.

    Roads under construction in Myanmar are 35 union highways from the east to the west, 45 such highways from the north to the south, roads linking states and divisions, inter-township roads and strategic roads.