More than Nu 40 million has been spent to blacktop the road

Infrastructure: The Department of Roads (DoR) has asked a contractor to rectify damage on the 19km Gedu-Meretsemo road in Bongo, Chukha which was blacktopped last year.

The contractor is currently working on the damaged portions.

Phuentsholing region DoR chief engineer Dorji Wangdi said that the contractor has to carry out rectification works wherever necessary.

“It is the contractor’s fault,” he said, adding that rectification will be carried out as per the required specifications and at the contractor’s cost.

Meanwhile, road officials also said that the blacktopping was not satisfactorily completed because the surface remains damp most of the time.

DoR officials said that the bitumen would not stick properly to the base course surface. As a result, the blacktopped surfaces cracked letting rainwater to enter and damage the road surface.

However, road officials also pointed that the contractor may not have properly cleaned the base course surface before placing bitumen. This also causes the road to weaken and crack.

Contractor Nim Dorji said the blacktop got damaged on numerous portions. In total, around 1km of the road has been damaged.

“I agree it is because of the rain,” he said. “However, it is also because heavy trucks plied on the road.”

Nim Dorji explained that he had heard that two or three heavy vehicles had plied on the road.

Nim Dorji said that he would wait until the peak rainy season is over before beginning the rectification works. The contractor has until December this year to rectify the damaged road sections.

The gewog connectivity road starts from Gedu until Meretsemo. The government is providing more than Nu 40 million to blacktop the road, which began last year.

Rajesh Rai | Gedu

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