Construction of bridge over Wangchhu in full swing
The construction of a Wangchhu Zam over the Thimpchu, which was scheduled to start from the beginning of the year, has finally begun. The 54 metre long bridge with a seven-metre carriageway will connect Chugo Lam and Dechhen Lam below the Tarayana building.
Project Manager Koncho Tempel said that since the bridge is in the city it will add aesthetic beauty to the surroundings. “The arch shape bridge was proposed based on the site location considering the economical point of view. The arch bridge is 20+20 meter T-girder. The reason for choosing this type of bridge is due to the existing structures at the right bank and the road level,” he said
The bridge will have a loading capacity of 70R (70R is equivalent to 100 metric tons) as per the Indian Road Congress, which includes the design codes for roads and bridges. “The bridge will shorten the distance in general and it will create a convenient and alternative pass to the town. At the same time it is also expected to reduce traffic congestion around the area,” said Koncho Tempel.
Construction Development Corporation Limited acquired the contract through open tender and the bridge division, Department of Roads, is the client that will supervise the construction. The design of bridge was outsourced to an Indian consultancy.
“We could not start the work immediately as there were service cables belonging to Bhutan Power Corporation and Bhutan Telecom that needed to be relocated. Even today, we have been requesting them to shift their service lines but it taking time and we already lost two months waiting for them to relocate the lines,” added Koncho Tempel.
The construction period of the bridge is 24 months and the bridge will also have 1.5-metre pedestrian footpath on both sides. The project cost amounting to Nu 67.4 million is funded by the Government of India.
