Travel to Lhuentse is expected to become easier and safer in the coming years. The long-awaited improvement and widening of the Monggar-Lhuentse Secondary National Highway is finally underway. Works began earlier this year and are expected to be completed by 2027.
Of the 65-kilometre stretch, around 30 kilometres from Gangola to Autsho is currently undergoing major maintenance.
The work is being carried out in three packages.
According to the Regional Office in Lingmithang, Monggar, about 85% of the initial groundwork, which includes excavating and levelling the ground, has been completed.
The office is optimistic that the project will be completed before schedule.
“We have had to impose road closures to allow uninterrupted work, and the travellers have been very cooperative. That is one reason our works have been progressing well,” said Chief Engineer Kinzang Dorji.
Works on the remaining 35 kilometres from Autsho till the Lhuentse will be carried out in the 14th Five Year Plan. Surveys and preliminary studies have already been completed.
“The Department has finished carrying out a survey and drawing an estimate. However, we will be able to carry out improvement works from Gangola till Phawan in Autsho in the 13th five-year plan due to limited budget,” said Kinzang.
The road, often described by locals as narrow and uneven, has long posed challenges to daily commuters. Many are now looking forward to the benefits that the improved highway will bring.
“Right now, the road is narrow and very bumpy. It damages our vehicles,” said a traveller, Karma Sonam.
“It will be very beneficial to the people, they have already started making the road wider and better. It was in a very poor condition before,” said Sangmo, a resident of Monggar.
According to Penden, they see a lot of people driving to Lhuentse, hundreds of vehicles travel along this route and it will only increase.
“At present, the road is very narrow and it is quite risky when we come across heavy vehicles from the other side,” said Peldhen Choedra.
Once complete, the upgraded highway is expected to significantly ease travel between Lhuentse and Monggar, reduce vehicle wear and tear, and improve market access for farmers in the region.
The government is investing nearly Nu 219 M into the project, aiming to build not just a road, but a path toward better connectivity and development.
Namgay Wangchuk, Lhuentse
Edited by Yeshi Gyaltshen
