Election-pledged bridge still unfinished after 8 years

BY HARI PRASAD KOIRALA, Urlabari, Feb. 4: The Dahidans Khola Bridge, which connects two local levels in Morang Constituency No. 3 and has repeatedly become a common campaign agenda in every election, has still not been completed even after its deadline was extended for the third time.

The bridge, which is meant to connect Ward No. 6 of Kanepokhari Rural Municipality with Ward No. 9 of Pathari Shanishchare Municipality, was inaugurated on May 16, 2019. According to the contract, the bridge was supposed to be handed over to the community by December 2, 2021. The construction contract was awarded to Raman ISNV JV.

After the bridge was not completed within the stipulated time, the Road Division Office, Biratnagar, extended the deadline for construction for the third time. As per the third extension, the bridge was required to be completed by mid-July 2025. However, even seven months after the extended deadline expired, construction work has not progressed.

Narayan Prasad Nihure, chief of the Road Division Office, Biratnagar, said that the work remained halted due to a dispute between the partner companies of the construction firm. Meanwhile, former Morang-3 Member of Parliament Dr. Sunil Kumar Sharma had sought details from the Road Division Office on January 7 regarding the reasons for the delay. In response, the office sent a report on January 27 stating that out of three spans of the bridge, two had been concreted while one remained incomplete.

According to the Road Division Office, the project has achieved 75 per cent physical progress and 62 per cent financial progress so far. The official letter also stated that construction has been halted since the month of Ashar due to a dispute between the partner companies of the contractor.

The estimated cost of the bridge is Rs. 144,951,867, while the contractor secured the project for Rs. 117,902,606 including VAT. After the contractor failed to complete the project even after the first deadline extension, locals and elected representatives had exerted pressure on the division office to cancel the contract. The Department of Roads later granted a second extension, setting the deadline at mid-July 2023. However, the construction company did not carry out any work during that period.

Due to the non-completion of the bridge, residents of the southern region of Morang Constituency No. 3 are forced to travel eight kilometers north to cross the East-West Highway Bridge for daily commuting.