Asian Highway Bridge over Mechi comes into operation

By Our Correspondent,Birtamod, Jan.2: The six-lane Miteri Bridge over the Mechi River in the eastern border point came into operation on Sunday. The bridge is connected to the Asian Highway.  

The bridge in Kakadbhitta has come into operation one and a half years after its construction completed. Officials of the Mechi Customs Office and the Indian Customs Office hoisted the flags of their respective countries allowing the vehicles pass through the new bridge.

Ram Prasad Pathak, Head of Mechi Customs Office, and Chhiring Sherpa, Deputy Commissioner of Naxalbari Customs Division, jointly inaugurated the bridge from their respective country by cutting the ribbons.

The 575-metre long Miteri Bridge built over the Mechi river connects Kakadbhitta in Nepal and  Panitanki  in India. The then Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi had signed an agreement for the construction of the bridge in 2016. 

The bridge was built by the government of India with the help of a loan of INR 1.6 billion from the Asian Development Bank under Asia Sub-Regional Economic Cooperation-Road Network Project. During the construction, the government of Nepal had provided compensation of Rs. 33.37 million to 43 families living near the bridge construction site in Nepal.