Residents in Bumthang are not happy with the road improvement works carried out on the Kekila to Garpang Secondary National Highway. They complain of poor workmanship and substandard work quality. In some areas, blacktop started coming off a few months after the resurfacing works were carried out. The highway is the main route towards Bumthang town.
Works on the 3-kilometre stretch of the road were done about seven months ago after spending Nu 11 M. But it is already in need of maintenance.
Blacktop has already worn off, puddles can be seen in numerous locations and the blacktopped surface looks uneven. Potholes started appearing in some areas around three months after the road was resurfaced. The potholes were filled up but started coming apart soon after.
“We don’t know if the budget was inadequate or the contractor failed to maintain work quality. The road was resurfaced just recently and it is not in a good shape now,” said Zangla, a resident.
“The road is in a bad condition. Improvement works were carried out not long ago and the road is failing before our very eyes. Moreover, the road is too sloping for heavy vehicles. It would benefit the people if the work is redone,” said Sunil Kumar, another resident.
The Chief Engineer of the Roads Department’s regional office in Trongsa, Ugyen Dorji, said the work is under defect liability period. A contractor gets a one-year defect liability period during which the contractor can return to the site and repair the defects.
The office recently marked yellow lines on areas that need rectification and informed the contractor to rectify them before the onset of the monsoon. He also said the department strictly monitored the work as per technical specifications.
Out of the 3-kilometre stretch, over two kilometres were partially widened and blacktopped. The remaining one kilometre was resurfaced on the old blacktop without widening.
The Chief Engineer said potholes and undulations are mostly seen on the widened stretch due to uneven surfaces between the old road and the widened portion. He also said the road is eligible for only a 3-cm thick blacktop which makes it difficult to get a smooth finishing as in the Primary National Highways.
The contractor said the defect fixing works will begin within a week.
“The project’s budget was only enough to have a 3-cm thick blacktop. Moreover, as the area doesn’t receive enough sunlight, the rain makes the blacktop crack faster but we have been repairing the potholes five to six times. That’s why in some areas the surface looks uneven. Having said that, we will keep fixing the road and we are gathering materials to begin the works,” said Khandu, Project Director of Rinson Construction Company.
Some people shared that the road base on the widened portion itself must be stabilised rather than just fixing the potholes during the rectification process.
Meanwhile, the office has also proposed a budget to carry out resurfacing on the Garpang to Chamkhar stretch in the next financial year.
Kipchu, Bumthang
Edited by Sangay Chezom
