Thimphu Thromde plans to remove the speed-breakers along Thimphu-Babesa road and instead build underpasses at different locations.
The construction of speed-breakers, which act as zebra crossings at 11 points along the road, had cost the municipal office Nu.2 M.
The underpasses will be built phase-wise. Under the first phase, four underpasses will be built.
The tentative locations are; under the flyover bridge, sharee square mall, office of the election commission and Tata showroom. Each underpass will cost Nu.10 M.
The first phase is expected to be complete by next year.
The Thimphu Thomde had initially planned to build pedestrian bridges over the expressway.
Thimphu’s Mayor, Kinlay Dorjee said if they are to construct pedestrian bridges over the expressway, they will have to keep a ground clearance of almost five meters between the road and bridge. “Because you have to build so many of them, aesthetically it won’t look nice.”
Kinlay Dorjee also said the underpasses would have Bhutanese design, would be lit and spacious. It would also have ramps for the physically-challenged.
The thromde had constructed two underpasses in the past; one below Changangkha School and the other below swimming pool complex. Even after renovations, the two underpasses are hardly used.
