Bridge connecting Karnali, Far West Provinces nears completion

By Our Correspondent Surkhet, June 23: The construction of a concrete bridge over the Karnali River connecting Kuine of Panchpuri Municipality-11, Surkhet and Mohanyal of Kailali is nearing completion. The bridge, being constructed at a cost of 300 million, will be the shortest road connecting Sudurpaschim and Karnali province. 

The pedestrian road from Kuine-Chisapani of Surkhet used by the people of former Western and Mid-western development region is still in use. Due to a lack of bridge in Karnali, the two provinces could not be connected. Once completed, the bridge will connect the road network from Karnali Chisapani road to Chisapani on the East-West Highway, significantly reducing the travel time for the locals of Achham, Bajura of Sudurpaschim and Surkhet, Dailekh, Kalikot, Jumla, Humla, Dolpa and Mugu of Karnali.  

The travel distance from Kohalpur to Chisapani will be reduced by 52 km. Construction Company Anat-Lumbini JV was entrusted with the construction. While all the work on the Surkhet side of the bridge has been completed, the work on the wall on the Kailali side is still pending, said Lila Bhandari, planning chief of the Bridge Sector Office, Dang. He added that they have been doing homework to inaugurate the bridge by this month. 

The contract for the construction was signed in 2015. The construction company has stated that the construction got delayed after the Department of Roads did not approve the design for two years. 

But according to Bhandari, the construction was delayed since the design was made in China. "The nature of the bridge at Chisapani over Karnali River is almost the same as the bridge at Kuine," said Bhandari. He added that it may have been delayed as re-study on the design was necessary due to different geography of these rivers.

Construction was started after the design was approved in 2017. Bhandari said that the work has been expedited to finalise the construction work to bring the bridge into operation in the current fiscal year. 

The 11-km road from Chisapani to Kuine is being upgraded. Meanwhile, small vehicles are plying the 19-km road from Kuine to Babiachaur towards Surkhet. 

After the construction of a concrete bridge over the Bheri River in Surkhet, small vehicles including auto rickshaws have been passing through Babiyachaur to Kuine. The bridge over the Bheri River came into operation two years ago. 

The locals of the west of Surkhet will reach Chisapani of Kailali sooner than reaching Birendranagar, the capital of Karnali province.