Staff reporter

The bailey bridge over Drangmechu at Shing Phurtumo in Udzorong gewog, which closed to traffic on June 20, opened to traffic yesterday evening.

However, vehicles above 24 metric tonnes, which is the carrying capacity of the bridge, are allowed not to ply over the bridge. Only one vehicle at a time will be allowed on the bridge.

Udzorong Gup, Dorji Tshering said that 70 percent of his villagers use the bridge to travel to Trashigang. “Hereafter the bridge is damaged by carrying over load, the individual is responsible,” he said. “We also fixed the sign board reflecting the carrying capacity.”

Residents said that after the bridge was closed to traffic, they used gewog centre road from Khengthong Mani on the Trashigang-Samdrupjongkhar highway. 

“Taking the detour from Samdrupjongkhar-Trashigang highway is expensive for the farmers like me,” said a resident, Jigme.  “Timely restoration relieved many of us.”

He said the bridge over Drangmechu shortened the distance by 15km.

With technical expertise from Construction Development Corporation Limited, officials from the Department of Roads, gewog, and dzongkhag engineers restored  the bridge.

Officials are yet to complete the compilation of the cost of the restoration.

Edited by Tshering Palden