Commuters travelling along the Trashigang–Samdrup Jongkhar Highway are unhappy with the resurfacing work carried out along the Wamrong–Yonphula stretch. Several stretches on the 50-kilometre road, resurfaced about four years ago, have now become uneven. Ongoing maintenance work on a 14-kilometre section has also drawn public attention, with many questioning the quality of the work.
The ongoing maintenance work aims to resurface the 14-kilometre stretch between Kharungla and Wamrong. So far, over a kilometre has been resurfaced.
However, commuters say that about 500 metres of the newly resurfaced road are not properly levelled, causing vehicles to jerk while driving.
They added that some sections between Yonphula and Khaling have also become uneven.
Kinzang Thinley, a commuter said, “The road here is not damaged. I don’t understand why they are blacktopping again on a surface that was already good. It seems like a waste of money. Instead, they should repair roads with potholes in other areas. By topping up the existing surface, they are damaging what was a smooth road.”
“As a driver, I carry different types of loads, including eggs, which can get damaged due to the jerks. Earlier, the road was smooth, but now it feels rough and uneven,” said Yang Dorji, another commuter.
Taxi driver Cheten Tshering, “They are doing the blacktopping, but I doubt the quality. I drive on this road frequently and can feel the difference. Some stretches are the same as before, while others are worse than the previous blacktop. I am not sure what went wrong.”
Project DANTAK, which oversees the highway, said the uneven surface in the ongoing maintenance occurred because the machine malfunctioned at the initial stage after remaining idle for several months. However, rectification has already started.
Regarding the uneven surface between Yonphula and Khaling, DANTAK stated that sinking caused by ground movement during the monsoon has affected around 12 locations in Yonphula and Khaling, resulting in the development of small cracks on the road.
The project added that it continues to carry out maintenance on the highway even during adverse weather conditions. However, officials said resurfacing uneven sections was not feasible during the monsoon, which is why the work has begun now.
The rectification and resurfacing work on all 12 locations is expected to be completed by the end of this month.
Sonam Darjay, Trashigang
Edited by Kipchu
