Kathmandu, Sept 1: At least Rs 30 billion will be needed to repair and rebuild roads and bridges damaged by the Bhotekoshi flood, according to the Department of Roads’ initial estimate.
Director General Dr Bijay Jaisi said the department has already started the reconstruction process and a detailed assessment of the damage is underway.
The flood damaged 35 of 41 bridges between Miteri Bridge in Rasuwa and Malekhu in Dhading. Of them, 32 were completely destroyed and three suffered partial damage. Six bridges remain intact.
The Galchhi Trishuli Mailung Rasuwagadhi Road Project on Monday invited bids to repair the road between Betrabati and Timure. Contractors have until Wednesday to submit quotations. The work includes building retaining walls, road excavation and clearing landslides.
The department said 40 kilometres of road on the section were completely destroyed, while another 10 kilometres suffered partial damage. The flood also swept away Miteri Bridge at Timure, two Bailey bridges and several bridges linked to hydropower projects.
Meanwhile, authorities remain unsure when the Nagdhunga Muglin road at Krishnabhir will reopen after a massive landslide made the section impassable, even for pedestrians.
The road has remained closed since Sunday. Engineers could not reach the site on Monday as rocks and soil continued to fall from above while the river eroded the slope below. The Department of Roads is assessing the damage using drones.
A technical team is studying the landslide and is expected to submit its report by Tuesday. Jaisi said authorities would decide on the reopening strategy after receiving the report, as the landslide remains active.
Senior divisional engineer Suresh Paudel said reopening the road could take five to six months. He ruled out reopening it before Dashain, saying the scale of the landslide has made even cutting a new route through the hillside difficult.
The department is developing an alternative route along the opposite bank of the Trishuli River. The roughly 20 kilometre Fishling to Benighat route still requires about two kilometres of track to be opened.
An official said the river had begun damaging Krishnabhir in June, but the problem was ignored. Traffic has since shifted heavily to the Hetauda Kathmandu route.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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