Construction of four-lane bridge over Madi picks pace

By Amar Raj Naharki,Tanahun, Mar. 29: Construction of a four-lane bridge over the Madi River has made 70 per cent progress. The bridge will connect Damauli Bazaar in Ward No. 4 and Chapaghat in Ward No. 5 of Vyas Municipality along the Prithvi Highway once it comes into operation, according to the Muglin-Pokhara Road Expansion Project.

According to the project, this is Nepal’s first-ever four-lane bridge. The 315-meter-long bridge is being constructed with a target of completing it within three years. The bridge will consist of six spans. The contract for the bridge was awarded in August 2022 for a total of Rs. 1.21 billion. Engineer Bishnu Prasad Pandey, the Information Officer for the Eastern Section of the project, stated that this is the longest bridge along the Prithvi Highway and the first of its kind in Nepal.

Currently, a two-lane, 370-meter-long bridge exists over the river. The new bridge is being constructed approximately 50 meters away from the existing one. Engineer Dharma Pratap Lamgade, a representative of the construction company ZIEC-Annapurna JV, stated that 125 workers are deployed daily to expedite the work. He mentioned that the delay was caused due to design modifications. Lamgade explained, “The work is progressing rapidly. Had there not been a six-month delay due to design changes, 90 per cent of the work would have already been completed.”

The project has adopted an aesthetically designed arch structure to attract tourists in addition to serving transportation needs. Supervisor Chitra Bahadur Karki stated that work is being carried out diligently, with workers engaged for 10 hours daily.

Due to the increasing traffic on the road, which was originally planned in 1969, the expansion of the Prithvi Highway into a four-lane road is being undertaken with financial assistance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The contract for the eastern section was awarded for Rs. 6.21 billion, while the western section contract was valued at Rs. 7.40 billion. The contract for the bridge was awarded to ZIEC-Annapurna JV. Site in-charge Dinesh Shrestha confirmed that work was being carried out diligently to ensure completion within the stipulated timeframe.

The expansion of the 81-kilometre-long Muglin-Pokhara road section began in April 2021. The current two-lane road is being expanded into four lanes. The project has been divided into two sections: the eastern section (Muglin-Jamune), spanning 41.45 kilometres, and the western section (Jamune-Pokhara), covering 39.55 kilometres.