CHAUTARA: Construction of a motorable concrete bridge over the Brahmayani River in Jugal Rural Municipality, Sindhupalchowk, has remained stalled for the past five years.
Surya JV Construction Company was awarded the contract to build the 63-meter-long bridge—connecting Wards 1 and 5 of the rural municipality—at a cost of Rs 80 million, with completion originally scheduled within two years. The foundation stone was laid by then-Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota.
Despite repeated requests from the local government, construction has not resumed. Jugal Rural Municipality Vice President Himal Shrestha said the main contractor handed the project over to a subcontractor and has since gone out of contact.
He added that residents of the former Selang and Golche VDCs would benefit greatly from the bridge’s completion.
Ganesh Acharya, proprietor of Surya JV Construction, claimed that work has been delayed because the Charikot Road Division Office has not issued a variation order (VO), even though the revised drawing design has already been approved. He also claimed that the office has not cleared payments for the past two years.
According to Akash Shrestha, chief of the Road Division Office in Charikot, the bridge’s central pillar was found to be misaligned by 10 inches. However, he stated that since the revised design has been approved, the variation order and payment process will move forward.
Meanwhile, Ward Chair Rabindra Ghimire of Jugal-5 said that locals continue to suffer due to the delay. While a suspension bridge is currently in use to cross the river, it is in a deteriorated condition and poses safety risks.
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