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🇳🇵 Nepal /Energy & Infrastructure

Incomplete bridges, washed-away diversions disrupt travel in eastern hills

From Kathmandu Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Incomplete bridges and frequently damaged road diversions are causing significant travel disruptions in Nepal's eastern hills, connecting Ilam, Panchthar, and Taplejung.
  • Several key bridge projects remain unfinished, and temporary diversions are repeatedly washed away by floods or damaged by landslides, extending travel times.
  • Authorities aim to complete two Bailey bridges by mid-June with Indian technical support, but concerns remain about potential delays due to ongoing rainfall and slow progress.

Travelers and transport operators in Nepal's eastern hills are facing mounting difficulties due to persistent issues with incomplete bridges and damaged road diversions. Major road links connecting Ilam, Panchthar, and Taplejung are severely affected, with journeys that once took six hours now stretching to ten.

The Mechi Highway, Mid-Hill Highway, and Tamor Corridor are plagued by unfinished bridge projects. Temporary diversions, crucial for maintaining connectivity, are frequently rendered unusable by floods and landslides. The Mai river-Rajduwali section of the Mechi Highway is particularly vulnerable, with recurring floods washing away diversions and debris causing lengthy vehicle standstills.

A journey between Ilam and Birtamode that normally takes six hours now takes up to ten hours. Rain can start at any moment and trigger flooding, forcing vehicles carrying passengers to remain stranded on the road for hours.

— Laxmi TamangA jeep driver describes the significant hardship caused by repeated flood damage to temporary road structures.

To alleviate the situation, work is underway on installing Bailey bridges over the Puwa and Jogmai rivers along the Kechana-Kanchenjunga Road. These projects, costing approximately Rs25 million and Rs32 million respectively, are receiving technical assistance from the Indian government. Officials hope to have them operational by mid-June, provided rainfall does not cause further setbacks. However, concerns linger about the pace of construction potentially delaying completion before the monsoon season intensifies.

An additional Bailey bridge is planned for Belase in the Mai river, part of the Kechana-Kanchenjunga Road project. The permanent bridge, estimated at Rs250 million, has been delayed due to budget shortfalls, leading authorities to pursue a temporary solution. Preliminary studies suggest water seepage from the Puwa river tunnel may be exacerbating landslides in the Rajduwali area, making the road section increasingly hazardous.

If rainfall does not create further obstacles, our target is to bring them into operation by mid-June.

— Pawan BhattaraiThe chief of the Road Division Office in Ilam expresses hope for the completion of two Bailey bridges, while also voicing concerns about potential delays.
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Originally published by Kathmandu Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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