While COVID-19 pandemic has affected most constructions in the country, the construction of a bridge along the northern bypass road in Phuentshogling is progressing well.
The bridge is part of the second package of the northern bypass road under the South Asia Sub-regional Economic Cooperation project. The package includes the construction of 600-metre road and 120-metre bridge.
The Project Manager, Devi Charan Dhimal, said that despite the lock down in India and closing of borders in Bhutan since March 23, the project has been able to continue the work on the bridge as workers were at the construction site since the bridge construction commenced in September 2017.
So far, more than eighty percent of the bridge has been completed.
“We have some other ancillary works to be completed such as footpath and remaining river protection works. We will also be improving the roundabout where the bridge will connect to the Thimphu-Phuentshogling Highway,” said the Project Manager.
The bridge is set to open to traffic by the end of September or early October this year. The northern bypass road is expected to ease the chronic traffic congestion in Phuentshogling town.
Under the first package of the project, a four-lane two-kilometre road, starting from the second entry gate in Phuentshogling till the Crocodile Farm was constructed and opened to traffic in February this year. This includes the first ever 40-metre underpass in the country.
The completion of the first package has already eased traffic flow in Phuentshogling town.
The northern bypass road is being built with a grant of close to Nu 450M from the Asian Development Bank.
Sonam Penjor
