Bailey bridge over Puwa River in Ilam completes

BY KOKILA DHAKAL,Ilam, July.1: The construction of a Bailey bridge over the Puwa River, under the Kechana-Kanchanjunga Fast Track, an alternative route for the damaged section of the Mechi Highway, has been completed.

With the onset of continuous rainfall in late June, concerns had risen over how to keep transportation running in the eastern hills. Amidst such worries, the Bailey bridge fixed over the Puwa River has brought new hope to residents of the eastern hill.

Chief of the Road Division Office in Ilam, Pawan Bhattarai, said that the bridge’s load-bearing capacity will be tested on Tuesday. “There will be an inspection from the district level, and the load capacity will be tested. After that, permission for vehicle operation will be granted,” he said. “Vehicles weighing up to 25 tonnes will be able to use the bridge.”

This road, which offers a route from Ilam headquarters to Jhapa by covering approximately 50 kilometres, includes a 12-meter-long box culvert bridge at Thadekhola, which is still under construction. According to Bhattarai, it will take about a month to complete the work there.

“The construction of the bridge is ongoing, but the blacktopping work on the Bhanjyang-Belase road section has been delayed. The contractor has only completed the basic preparations for paving,” Bhattarai said. “If the paving is done soon, there won’t be much difficulty in bringing the fast track into operation.” 

Work on the road beyond Belase is also progressing rapidly, according to officials.

Meanwhile, on another alternative route under the Mechi Highway, construction of a Bailey bridge over the Jogmai River, on the Simlagolai-Tilkeni road section in Godak, is in its final stages. “The Jogmai bridge will be completed in a few days, and road construction is also underway,” Bhattarai added. The 37-metre-long Bailey bridge is being constructed at a cost of Rs. 19 million.

However, local Ganjhu Pradhan expressed concern over delays in road construction despite the bridge being nearly complete. “The bridge is finished, but no one knows when the road will be completed,” he said. “This road is a lifeline connecting the Mechi hills. Finishing the bridge but not completing the road is not acceptable, and we locals won’t be satisfied. The contractor must take this seriously, because during continuous rainfall, traffic through Rajduwali section of the Mechi Highway becomes impossible.”