The old Simtokha bridge that serves as the starting point of most highways in the country is now replaced with a well-developed four-lane roundabout. It was inaugurated today.
The Department of Roads explored many structures from a simple bridge to a complex flyover before finalising this structure. The department initially planned to construct a double lane roundabout.
However, the Director-General of the department said the ministry received a Royal Command in 2020 to review the design of the roundabout and consider the future traffic growth.
Other aspects such as the road gradient to enable easy movement of traffic from all directions were also taken into account.
“The previous bridge was a small one with an underground road passage. There were many issues as the carrying capacity of the bridge was also less. The current structure was selected as it will be easier to carry out extension works in the future,” said Ngawang Thinley, Executive Engineer of the Department of Roads.
The construction began in July last year and was completed in April this year. The construction was carried out at a cost of more than Nu 83 M, funded by the Government of India.
Kinley Dem
