The city's population has increased from 43,000 in 1983 to 123,000 in 1996. Thanlyin is connected to the country's fledgling highway network. The Thanlyin Bridge carries Highway 6, which links Yangon with the Thilawa port and Thanlyin Industrial Zone. The Thanlyin Bridge 2, under construction since 2003, will link Thanlyin to Highway 2, the Yangon-Mandalay highway. River ferries to the Irrawaddy delta over the Twante Canal are available from Yangon's passenger ports. Thilawa port is the largest deep water sea port in the country, and handles the majority of the shipped imports and exports to/from the country. Thanlyin is home to Myanmar Maritime University, one of the most selective universities in Burma. Since the early 2000s, students from Thanlyin and surrounding suburbs have to attend local universities: the University of East Yangon for liberal arts and sciences, Technological University, Thanlyin for engineering and Co-operative University, Thanlyin for business.