Roads: Construction of a bailey suspension bridge over Drangmechu to connect Udzorong to the Trashigang-Mongar highway at Dremitse is expected to begin soon.

Survey and approach road design from either side of riverbank have been completed. The construction of three-kilometre road will begin this month.

Karma Wangdi, chief engineer with the regional office of the Department of Roads (DoR) in Trashigang, said DoR will have to first improve the existing farm road towards Dremitse and do formation cutting for a new approach road from Udzorong.

“Although there is a farm road until the sand quarry in Udzorong, the site is not feasible for bridge construction. We must go for fresh cutting,” said Karma Wangdi. “By the time the approach roads are completed, design for the new bridge should be ready.”

Karma Wangdi added that DoR will complete the work on the substructure part within the current financial year.

“But the launching of the superstructure will take time,” Karma Wangdi said. “The steel components of the superstructure are manufactured only by two companies in India.”

The Nu 31 million bridge will directly benefit about 441 households from the four chiwogs of Rizor, Barkazor, Jomotshang and Bepam. The distance from the gewog to Trashigang will be reduced by about 15km.

Udzorong Gup Tenzin Tshewang said that currently it takes almost four to five hours to reach Trashigang through landslides prone areas.

The bridge will also benefit about 70 households who  cultivate paddy with market accessibility. The bridge will shorten travel time between Mongar and Samdrupjongkhar by almost 19km.

The 24-tonne capacity bridge will have carriageway width of 3.277 metres.

Tshering Wangdi,  Trashigang

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