After numerous delays, the construction the 11.5km gewog centre road in Sakteng opened to traffic on February 1 which now connects the gewog’s three chiwogs previously left unconnected.

Sakteng is the last gewog in Trashigang to be connected with a gewog centre road.

The stretch was expected to be opened for vehicular movements towards mid February. According to officials from the Department of Roads (DoR), the gewog centre road would be completed only by June.

Sakteng Gup Sangay Dorji said that the road would expedite developmental projects in the gewog. “We are extremely happy. For us it is dream come true. Many cried tears of joy seeing the first vehicle arrive in our village.”

In 2017, the gewog’s local leaders requested the dzongkhag tshogdu to tender the construction of the road to private contractors after several delays.

DoR said retendering the works would further delay the construction. To accelerate the work progress, the department signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Construction Development Corporation (CDCL). CDCL deployed machinery and equipment at the site.

Deployment of additional machinery is arranged to accelerate the construction progress during dry season, added an official.

The construction of GC road to Sakteng from Thrakthi began in November 2015 at an estimated cost of Nu 128.138 million (M).

The blacktopping of the GC road will be carried in 2019-2020 fiscal year along with realigning and gradient correction of the 36km Dogorom-Thrakthi road.

There are more than 20 vehicles in the gewog today.

Younten Tshedup | Trashigang

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