The construction works of the northern bypass in Phuentsholing are in full swing. The project is mainly to ease traffic congestion, which has been one of the major challenges the town has been facing for years.
At present, 50 per cent of the road development works is complete.
Once complete, the 2.6-kilometre bypass will help in managing smooth traffic flow. It will also have the country’s first underpass and curvy-linear bridge as well.
The four-lane bypass is expected to be complete by August this year while the 120-meter-bridge is expected to complete by February 2020.
The northern bypass will be connected to the national highway at the first turning near the Royal Bhutan Army area.
“Once it is complete, the vehicles will enter from the second entry gate which is connected to international border at Jaigaon. They will do the business at the mini dry port, come back and join the northern bypass,” Devi Charan Dhimal, the Project Coordinator with SASEC of Phuentshogling Thromde, said.
“They will then drive outskirts of the town near the youth building and move upstream and cross the bridge opposite to the Royal Bhutan Army area’s turning.”
The project is a joint venture between a Bhutanese and Japanese construction company. It is one of the three South Asia Sub-regional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) projects in Phuentshogling.
The Asian Development Bank is funding the project worth almost Nu 450 M.