Bridge to be Installed in Lapse Khola of Khotang

Preparations are underway to install a Bailey bridge in Lapse Khola of Khotang, a section of the Mid-Hill Highway. The Pushpalal (Mid-Hill) Highway Project Office, Ramechhap, has invited tenders for the installation of the Bailey bridge on Ashar 32.

According to Engineer Bharat Shrestha, information officer at the Pushpalal (Mid-Hill) Highway Project Office, Ramechhap, the Bailey bridge is being installed as the construction of a concrete bridge in Lapse Khola has stalled. The tender for the Bailey bridge, excluding VAT and contingency, is worth Rs 16.364 million.

The construction of a 15-meter-long concrete bridge in Lapse Khola, which falls under the Chhakewabhanjyang-Diktel road section, began in 2073 BS but was halted after the contractor, Siruwa Construction, failed to make progress. The contract was terminated in 2079 BS after seven years of inactivity.

Although three years have passed since the contract was terminated, the government has yet to award a new contract. In the meantime, plans to install a Bailey bridge have moved forward.

The contractor, Siruwa Construction, had signed a contract to complete the bridge by Ashoj 7, 2073 BS, but made little progress beyond constructing pillars on either side of the river. The third extension of the deadline expired on Ashoj 30, 2077 BS. The pillars have been overgrown with vegetation, and the road has been damaged.

The absence of a bridge in Lapse Khola has caused significant disruptions to traffic, especially during the monsoon season. Vehicles, including ambulances and motorcycles, have been stranded for hours due to flooding and landslides. In recent incidents, a landslide on Jestha 27 caused the road to be blocked for a week, while another landslide on Jestha 23 blocked the road for nine hours.