The 44-Kilometre Central-East National Highway between Gomphu to Panbang has been opened to traffic with the inaugural of temporary bailey bridges over the Mangdechu at Pantang and the Rindeygangchu. The project team from the Department of Roads has now made it possible to drive to the Nishoka Bridge at Panbang, the end point of the Gomphu-Panbang Highway.
The highway has been blacktopped till Pantang and formation cutting from Pantang to Panbang is completed up to 85 percent. Stream crossings have been provided with temporary structures like rock fills and log bridges.
According to Project Director, Prabat Rai, the construction of the highway is still ongoing and will be completed in its entirety by 2015. With the completion of the temporary Bailey bridge over Mangdechu on June 22, 2013, the highway renders itself useful to the project team to expedite the progress of the remaining works as well as for the general public use.
Besides, the four Lower Kheng Gewogs connectivity roads and other farm roads taking off from this highway will all be usable by the public as planned in the 10th FYP.
The permanent bridges under construction over Rindeygangchu and Mangdechu at Pantang along this highway are expected to be completed by January and October 2014.
As the earth cutting works are still ongoing between Phangkharzam and Darangzam, the general public will be restricted to use this portion of the highway during working hours. The general public is requested to be patient with the project management till the highway is constructed to its 100 percent completion by 2015.
The project management is satisfied with the milestones achieved so far and even though the targets set were ambitious, the highway project is on schedule.
Before, people of upper Kheng and dzongkhag officials have been travelling via Gelephu through India which takes two days by vehicle and by walk officially three days via Phangkhar Gewog.
Gomphu-Panbang highway construction was begun in 2008 and funded by GOI, which will complete by 2015.
