Temporary Bailey Bridge Opens at Bangshilaghat Connecting Khotang and Udayapur

Khotang. A temporary Bailey bridge installed at Bangshilaghat on the Sunkoshi River, located on the border between Barahapokhari Rural Municipality-5, Pauwase, in the southern region of the district, and Chaudandigadhi Municipality-1, Chaudandigadhi, Udayapur, was brought into operation on Saturday.

It has been agreed that the temporary Bailey bridge, installed by Gurukul Builders and Suppliers Pvt. Ltd., will remain operational until the first week of Jestha, 2083 BS. The Bailey bridge, installed at an investment of Rs 5.7 million by the Koshi Province Government, Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development, is 51.81 meters long.

Office Chief Binam Dahal informed that the necessary materials for the Bailey bridge were purchased by the Koshi Province Government, Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development, for Rs 18.7 million and handed over to the Infrastructure Development Office, which then provided them to the construction company. Local residents of the southern region, who have long been commuting via suspension bridges, are delighted that the temporary Bailey bridge has been installed at Bangshilaghat, albeit belatedly.

Representatives from Khotang's Barahapokhari and Janthedhunga Rural Municipalities, and Udayapur's Chaudandigadhi Municipality, had demanded a bridge from the federal government for the construction of a motorable concrete bridge currently underway at Bangshilaghat. Barahapokhari Rural Municipality Chief Salikram Banjara stated that since the federal government did not provide the budget for installing a temporary Bailey bridge at Bangshilaghat, which has been operating with rough road transport connecting Khotang and Udayapur, it was installed and operated with provincial government investment.

The work on the motorable bridge under construction at Dhaplaghat on the Sunkoshi River, intended to connect citizens of the three local levels in the southern region directly to various districts of Eastern Terai, has also gained momentum recently. The progress on the Dhaplaghat motorable bridge, which had been stalled for a long time due to contractor negligence, has recently picked up pace, raising hopes among the citizens.

Road Department Bridge Sector Dharan Engineer Navin Sah informed that the construction of the Dhaplaghat bridge is 43% complete. According to him, the bridge at Dhaplaghat was initially started using the well foundation technique. As that was not feasible, the design was changed last year, and construction using the pile foundation technique has begun. Work is underway to drain water for slab casting. If the water can be drained quickly, two more slabs can be cast this year.

A contract was signed with the construction company on Ashadh 30, 2073 BS, for the construction of a 200-meter long motorable concrete bridge at Dhaplaghat with an investment of Rs 216.5 million from the federal government. Citizens in the southern region were disheartened by the Dhaplaghat motorable bridge remaining incomplete for nearly nine years during its construction.

According to the recently extended deadline, the bridge construction at Dhaplaghat must be completed by Jestha 19, 2084 BS. The construction company, Rusuwa Construction Pvt. Ltd., has stated that work is being expedited to allow vehicle passage across the Dhaplaghat bridge by Chaitra 2083 BS.

The temporary Bailey bridge installed at Foxingtar on the Sunkoshi River has already been brought into operation. This temporary Bailey bridge was installed and operated after a motorable concrete bridge connecting Lichkiramche of Khotang's Khotehang Rural Municipality-9 and Aamptar of Udayapur's Rautamai Rural Municipality-5 at Sunkoshi's Foxingtar was washed away by floods.

Ramkumar Hingmang, General Secretary of Khotang Yatayat Pvt. Ltd., informed that the compulsion to use the circuitous route via Ghurmi-Katari has been removed with the operation of the temporary Bailey bridge at Foxingtar. The Bailey bridge was installed by the construction company MAS Aryan Construction Multipurpose Pvt. Ltd., Katari-3 Udayapur, under a contract worth Rs 9,677,937 including VAT.

A massive flood in the Sunkoshi River due to incessant rainfall on Ashoj 12 last year washed away the 120-meter long motorable concrete bridge at Foxingtar. With the motorable concrete bridge at Foxingtar washed away by the flood, direct transport service between Diktel and Gaighat was completely severed. After the arc-design bridge, which took about 13 years to build, was washed away by the flood, the Bailey bridge installed in Poush last year was removed with the onset of the monsoon season. Following the removal of the Bailey bridge, passengers traveling to Eastern Terai had to reach their destinations via the suspension bridge.