The much-awaited Dagapela-Dalbari highway is finally near completion. Today, over 90 per cent of the works have been finished. The secondary national highway is expected to be ready by mid of next month.
Of the more than 80 kilometres, blacktopping and drainage works on about 75 kilometres of the road have been completed so far. At the moment, drainage works are underway on four kilometres. Blacktopping of the remaining six kilometres between Gesarling and Sisithangkhola is yet to begin. The company carrying out the works is without its construction machine needed to surface the road. The old one was seized by the RICBL for loan default.
The road’s project office in Dagapela said the blacktopping works will resume in a week’s time since they were able to help the company get the machine from the Construction Development Corporation.
A team from the Ministry of Works and Human Settlement recently visited the site to inspect the work progress. The team has instructed the contractor to complete the works by December 15.
Meanwhile, the construction of three bridges between Gesarling and Sisithangkhola are on track and are being executed by the ministry. They are expected to be completed by January next year.
The highway construction works began in 2014 but the works were kept on hold for two years after some issues and allegations related to procurement emerged. The works then resumed in 2017.
The project is being funded jointly by the Netherland’s Facility for Infrastructure Development and the government.
Pema Tshewang, Dagana
Edited by Yeshi Gyaltshen
