It is becoming a fearsome experience for travellers taking the East-West highway between Bumthang and Monggar because of the road widening and improvement works. Due to road cutting works and rain, the highway remains blocked almost every other day. Commuters have to risk getting buried, becoming stranded or getting caught in an accident while taking the highway, especially along the notorious Namling stretch.
The roughly 90-kilometre widening project which begins from Ura in Bumthang looks rather reassuring, initially. The road is smooth, blacktopped and widened. The Department of Roads’ Ura sub-division looks after the widening works on the 27-kilometre stretch from Ura to Thrumshingla. The works are done in three packages by three contractors. Some parts of the road are blacktopped while some are being laid with the base course. However, some areas are muddy and slippery.
The Executive Engineer of the Trongsa Regional DoR Office said almost 90 per cent of the works are complete and the remaining works will be finished by the end of next month.
After crossing Thrumshingla, the road becomes scary by the minute. Freshly cut soil often gets eroded and blocks the highway. Last year the highway remained blocked for almost two weeks at Namling.
Later, two cars also got buried on the highway in separate incidents due to landslides. And last week, a man and a woman were killed in a car accident along the same stretch.
“The road between Yongkola and Sengor is very scary. You become almost feverish when you drive through that part of the highway. Everyone risks their life travelling through this highway. The road becomes even worse due to fog and rain in summer. We are scared that we might lose our life on the road,” said Pema Dorji, a commuter.
“Two of us had a very tough time as most vehicles had already left way ahead of us and the ones following us were not close by. It would benefit the people if the work is carried out faster. Right now, everyone is scared to travel on this highway. Small cars get hit from beneath every now and then. Moreover, we have to be cautious of falling boulders during the rainy season,” said Choki Zangmo, another commuter.
“The worst part of the highway is between Thrumshingla and Namling. We become nervous when passengers become frantic and scream because of the road. It was better a month ago but after the continuous rainfall these days, it has become worse again. Though contractors clear the road, it becomes bad again, the moment there’s rain. It would benefit us if the contractors could maintain the big depressions even when there’s rain. The widening works are never coming to an end,” said Dorji Khandu, a Passenger Bus Driver.
The remaining part of the road from Thrumshingla to Yongkola is taken care of by the DoR regional office in Monggar. Works are awarded in five packages. Base course laying works are underway on the stretch from Thrumshingla to Sengor after the completion of widening works. However, formation-cutting works are still ongoing between Namling and Yongkola, which is the most feared part of the highway. The DoR Chief Engineer in Monggar said around 40 per cent of works are complete as of now.
“We have to finish the entire project by the end of next year. Widening works are almost over now except for some portion of Namling to Yotongla stretch which was awarded a little late. From Latongla to Namling, we have started laying GSB,” said Kinzang Dorji, the Chief Engineer of the Regional DoR Office in Lingmithang.
DoR officials say unfavourable weather, limited working hours and the pandemic have been hampering the work.
The widening project between the two districts began almost two years ago. The government spent close to Nu 1bn for the project.
Kipchu/Sonam Tshering
