Bailey bridge construction at final stage in Khurkot

By Our Correspondent,Sindhuli, Oct. 18: Bailey bridge construction work over the Sunkoshi River in Khurkot to connect Golanjor Rural Municipality-7 Khurkot of Sindhuli and Manthali Municipality-6 Seleghat of Ramechhap has reached its final stage. The bridge was washed away by the floods in the river caused by torrential rain on October 27 and 28.

After half of the bridge along the Khurkot-Manthali road (towards Ramechhap district) was swept away by the floods, a technical team of the Nepali Army started construction of the Bailey bridge at the site on October 6. The Bhawani Box Battalion of the Nepali Army in Manthali, district headquarters of Ramechhap, has informed that the bridge construction work will be completed within the next two days.

According to Battalion Chief, Badri Kunwar, work is still to be done on the bridge construction and currently tracks for the tyres and other parts are being set. Likewise, fixing the base of the bailey bridge has been completed at Ramechhap side by Wednesday evening. 

"I think vehicles can be driven through the bridge from Saturday," said Kunwar. The technical team of the army is working at a fast pace. Bhawani Box Battalion said that the technical team was working with two days off even during the Dashain festival.

The bridge over the Sunkoshi River was built by the Road Connectivity Sector Project with financial assistance of more than Rs. 170 million from the Asian Development Bank a decade ago. 

Locals said that the bridge has been a boon to connecting Ramechhap, Dolakha, Solukhumbu and Okhaldhunga districts as well as the BP Highway and Mid-Hill Highway. The connectivity of Ramechhap and Dolakha districts with the BP Highway has been severed after the bridge was swept away by the flood.

Shankar Baral, Chairman of Golanjore Rural Municipality, said that with the construction of the Bailey bridge in Khurkot, the connection between mountains, hills and plains will be restored. 

He said that the bridge connects Tarai and the Himalayan region in a short distance and is the only channel for the transportation of daily consumables including food grains from the plains to Ramechhap and Dolakha.