Staff Reporter 

Before the roads department could mend the first block on the Gyalpoizhing-Nganglam highway, a rockslide blocked the highway yesterday at around 24km from Gyalpoizhing towards Nganglam.

The regional Department of Roads (DOR) office in Lingmethang deployed a machine to clear the 100m stretch of road covered by falling boulders.

Lingmethang regional DOR’s executive engineer, Karma Rinzin said that two machines would be deployed today to clear the blockage and open the road to traffic in the afternoon.

However, DOR officials said the first block that took place at the canopy area, around 38 kilometres away from Gyalpoizhing towards Nganglam would take around a week more to make it pliable for medium and heavy vehicles although it is open to small vehicles.

The chief engineer, Karma Rinzin, said the base of the road has been damaged and need a longer time. “The formation width of the road itself is taken and cutting is required.”