A highway connecting Moreh to Mae Sot via Myanmar was first proposed at a trilateral ministerial meeting on transport linkages in Yangon in April 2002. The length of the four-lane highway is approximately .
Moreh-Tamu-Kalemyo-Kalewa section The long India–Myanmar Friendship Road, linking Moreh-Tamu-Kalemyo-Kalewa, was officially inaugurated on 13 February 2001, and it now forms a part of the trilateral highway. This road was built by the
Border Roads Organisation (BRO), a wing of the
Indian Army. The BRO maintained the road until 2009, when it was transferred to the Government of Myanmar. Per the original agreement between India and Myanmar on the Friendship Road project, the Indian government was tasked with widening and repaving the existing roads in the area, while the Myanmar government would upgrade the decrepit single-lane bridges along the route. However, the Myanmar government failed to carry out the construction work. In May 2012, India announced that it would invest US$100 million to repave the existing highway and upgrade all 71 bridges that Myanmar had failed to build. Myanmar stated that it would upgrade the Yargi-Monywa section and open the existing motorway between Mandalay-Naw Pyi Taw and Yangon. Following the 2015 Myanmar elections, the new government withdrew the country's commitment, and India was expected to upgrade the stretch from Moreh to Monywa. An alternate alignment for the stretch between Mandalay-Naw Pyi Taw and Yangon was also proposed. The Indian government also plans to construct a road from
Zokhawthar, Mizoram through the Zokhawthar-Rih border to
Tedim in the
Chin State of Myanmar. This will serve as an additional point of crossing from India to the trilateral highway in Myanmar. India provided funding for the renovation of 73 bridges along the route in Myanmar that were originally built during World War II. India and Myanmar signed an agreement to speed up construction of the highway on 29 August 2016. Prabir De, coordinator of the ASEAN-India Centre at the Research and Information System for Developing Countries, stated in November 2017 that the Border Roads Organisation had completed upgrading the Tamu-Kalewa-Kalemyo section of the highway in Myanmar at a cost of US$27.28 million. In August 2017, the government of India allocated US$256 million for the upgrade of highway from
Moreh in Manipur through
Tamu, Myanmar to
Mae Sot in Thailand. On 6 September 2017, the National Highway Authority of India awarded a construction and maintenance road contract for the Kalewa-Yagyi section in Myanmar to a joint venture of
Punj Lloyd and Varaha Infra Ltd. The stretch will be built to a two-lane road. The engineering, procurement and construction contract for the project will entirely be funded by the Indian Foreign Ministry. On 11 April 2018,
Yagyi-
Kalewa section was finally awarded to Punj Lloyd, to be completed in 3 years by April 2021 for Rs.1,177 crore in
Engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) mode under a special purpose vehicle,
Myawaddy-Thinggan Nyenaung-Kawkareik section The long Myawaddy-Thinggan Nyenaung-Kawkareik section of the highway was inaugurated by Thai and Myanmar officials on 30 August 2015, reducing travel time between Thinggan Nyenaung and Kawkareik from three hours to 45 minutes. Construction on the section had begun in 2012. On the same day, a foundation stone laying ceremony was held at Myawaddy, Myanmar to mark the beginning of construction of the Myanmar-Thailand Friendship Bridge No.2 that will link Mae Sot, Thailand with Myawaddy.
Ein Du-Thaton section In February 2017, Myanmar approved a proposal from the Thai government permitting the latter to widen a section of the road between Thaton in Mon State and Ein Du in Kayin State. The widening will be financed by Thailand at a cost of US$51 million. Under the project, the road will be widened and its surface improved. Myanmar also requested Thailand to assist in the development of other sections of the highway.
Financing In May 2017, India's
NITI Aayog proposed establishing a Special Purpose Vehicle owned by all three countries to monitor and implement the project. ==Travel arrangements==