Driving through Yurmung along the Refey-Khoshala bypass in Trongsa is risky, especially for heavy vehicles. About 200 meters of the road in the area is steep with sharp turns.
Recently, a truck veered off the road after the driver failed to make a sharp turn while descending the stretch. However, no casualties were reported.
“Sometimes the brake doesn’t work properly while driving down with a heavy load. That’s exactly what happened with my friend’s truck,” Sonam Chopel who had come to take the wrecked truck said.
According to the nearby residents, another accident also occurred in the same area a few weeks ago.
Nima, a truck driver, said, “My handy boy has to be ready with a wheel chock whenever we climb this road. If not, the truck slips backwards, which could be risky.”
Some commuters said it would be convenient if an alternate route is cleared. “If another road – a kilometre or two long – is constructed in place of this slope, it would benefit everyone,” the Langthil Tshogpa, Nima, said.
“Whether you are going up or down, it is risky when vehicles are loaded,” added Tenzin, the Yuedroongchhoeling Tshogpa.
The regional department of roads office in Trongsa said it would construct crash barriers at critical stretches to minimize the risks. But there is no plan to realign the road, at least for now. People travelling between Trongsa, Zhemgang, and Gelegphu use the bypass the most. It opened to traffic in 2019 and shortens the travel time between these places by almost 90 minutes.
Passang, Trongsa
Edited by Sonam Wangdi
