KATHMANDU: Around 150 bridges were repaired in different districts across the country in the previous fiscal year 2019/20. The Department of Road had repaired and renovated the bridges on the investment of the Nepal government and also with the financial assistance of development partners.
Chief of Bridge Division under the Department of Roads, Deepak Bhattarai said the policy was to gradually install new bridges and subsequently remove the old ones in the most vulnerable areas. Maintenance of the earthquake-damaged bridges is also going on. Some of the single-lane bridges are under the process of expansion, he added.
“Maintenance of the old and congested bridges is taking place alongside the installation of new bridges”, the division sources said. The Department has so far repaired and renovated around 150 bridges for the past two years.
Deputy Director-General Bhattarai also shared that there are deteriorated and congested bridges on the Pataliya-Dhalkebar road which is being studied by the World Bank. There is a plan to construct 70 bridges in four lanes along the road. Likewise, the Department has also made a plan to repair the bridges in some places on its own.
The maintenance of the Ramdi bridge along the Siddhartha Highway has been already included in the plan. A new bridge installed in Muglin has already come into operation. “This year’s program has included the plan for the maintenance of all bridges in decrepit conditions”, he said.
The target in the next fiscal year is to repair bridges stretching over 2,000 meters. RSS
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