Doda River Bridge Connecting Kanchanpur and Laljhandi Completed After 12 Years

Kanchanpur. The bridge over the Doda River connecting Krishnapur Municipality and Laljhandi Rural Municipality has been completed 12 years after the contract was signed.

The contract for the bridge construction was signed with Lumbini Rajendra Kumar Shrestha JV Kailali on Poush 26, 2072 BS. Although the bridge construction was supposed to be completed by Poush 26, 2075 BS as per the agreement, the bridge has been completed 12 years after the contract was signed, according to the Division Road Office, Mahendranagar.

As per the bridge construction agreement, work started at that time and three pillars were constructed. However, the bridge took 12 years to build due to a design change after problems were found in the bridge's foundation. "It took time to construct the bridge after changing the design due to problems in the foundation itself," said Haris Prasad Joshi, Engineer at the Division Road Office, Mahendranagar, adding, "The bridge construction is complete and traffic has started." According to him, the deadline for the bridge construction was extended three times.

For years, local residents faced problems commuting due to the lack of a bridge over the Doda River. "Commuting has become easier for us after the bridge was built; we were forced to cross the river risking our lives during the monsoon," said local resident Bhupendra Chaudhary. "The construction of the bridge has brought great relief to the local people here."

Another local, Ramesh Mahar, stated that many people residing across the river in Laljhandi have their farmlands on this side (Krishnapur Municipality), forcing them to cross the river at risk to their lives. "Many residents across the river in Laljhandi have their farms on this side in Krishnapur Municipality," he said. "The locals here are delighted that the bridge has been built." He added that local residents faced hardships during the planting season due to the absence of a bridge over the river. The contract for the bridge construction was signed with Lumbini Rajendra Kumar Shrestha JV Kailali for Rs 24 crore 22 lakh 57 thousand.