The ongoing road improvement works on the Dagapela-Sunkosh secondary national highway is expected to take another three months to finish. The road improvement works were supposed to be completed in June. But it was given a two month extension considering the disruption caused by the COVID pandemic.
The project has now been given another three months since works could not be carried out due to the monsoon rains. Meanwhile, the delays have upset the people.
The road improvement works on the forty-two-kilometre stretch includes widening, blacktopping and construction of drains.
The works are being carried in two packages and began from June last year. As of now, over 85 per cent of the works are complete under the first package. It covers the road from Sunkosh till Rigsumgang.
The second package covers the stretch between Dagapela and Rigsumgang, and is only half done.
Cheten Tshering, an executive engineer with DoR Sub-Division Office in Tsirang said “We have to depend almost entirely on the machines to resurface the roads and procuring machinery from India was also a challenge for us amid the pandemic. And after reaching machines to Gelegphu, it was another big challenge for us to reach the sites.”
Moreover, the office had to stop the works during the rainy season.
“We are ready to resume the works anytime soon because we have mobilized all the machinery and bitumen for the remaining works. If the weather improves, the works will start from the end of next month and the entire works will be complete towards the end of November,” added Cheten Tshering.
But the prolonged works have not gone well with commuters.
Pema Wangchuk, a Bus Driver said, “Driving along this road is very inconvenient. It is my fifth-month driving public transport bus and I have to repair my vehicle regularly. We don’t get much income operating buses amid the pandemic and spending huge expenses on vehicle maintenance is a huge loss for us.”
Rangdoel, one of the Dagana Residents also said, “We don’t know what is happening with this road improvement works. Huge stones are lying just along the road that damages our vehicles.”
“Because of the road improvement works, potholes are common along this road. The road is already very narrow and the rainy season adds more problem to it,” added Jigme Gyeltshen, another Dagana Resident.
But until the works are complete, commuters will have to continue with the bumpy rides.
Pema Tshewang, Dagana
Edited by Sangay Chezom
