MUSTANG: Construction of the concrete motorable bridge over Ghami Khola in Lo Ghekar Damodarkunda Rural Municipality-2 of Mustang, which lies along the Jomsom-Korala road section, has been completed under the North-South Trade Route Expansion Project.
According to the project, a total of 15 concrete bridges have now been completed along the 202-kilometer road section from Maldhunga in Parbat to the Korala border checkpoint in Mustang.
Project chief Tejashwi Sharma said the bridge, for which the contract was signed in 2075 BS, was recently completed. He said the work could not be finished on time due to the area’s harsh terrain, adverse weather conditions, snowfall, and delays by the construction company.
Sharma said the contractor was repeatedly instructed and subjected to action for the delay, and that the bridge was ultimately completed with the support of local representatives.
As the contractor continued to neglect and delay the work, a daily penalty was imposed for six months in accordance with the Public Procurement Act and related regulations. Sharma added that implementation of the 15th amendment to the Public Procurement Act helped facilitate completion of the repeatedly extended project.
Under the original agreement, the bridge was supposed to be completed by Poush 9, 2078 BS, but the deadline was extended several times. The project said the bridge was completed five years after the contractual completion period, with support from the project office and Lo Ghekar Damodarkunda Rural Municipality Chairman Lobasang Chompel Bista.
The 40-meter-long bridge, built on the route connecting the Korala border crossing with Jomsom and Upper Mustang, was constructed at a cost of Rs 68 million. Finishing works, including the bridge foundations, slab slope, protection structures, and approach roads on both sides, have also been completed.
With the bridge now in operation, movement toward Korola has become easier, the project said.
Previously, during the monsoon season, rising water levels in the Ghami River frequently disrupted the movement of vehicles and cargo containers between Korala and Upper Mustang. Containers carrying goods imported from China through the Korala checkpoint often had to remain stranded for weeks due to the absence of a permanent bridge.
Rural municipality chairman Bista said a temporary diversion road had been constructed last year with support from local traders and the municipality to facilitate transportation.
“Although the project was delayed, traffic movement has become smooth throughout the year after the bridge was completed,” Bista said.
Following completion of the bridge, Chairman Bista hosted a meal for representatives of the construction company, and the bridge was formally inaugurated.
The Beni-Jomsom-Korala Road Project had completed concrete bridges over the Kaiku, Seti, and Larjung rivers in Mustang last year. This year, tenders have also been invited for the construction of bridges over Ghatte Khola and Thapa Khola to further improve access to the Korola border route.
In addition, tenders worth Rs 2 billion have been invited for blacktopping the road section from Chhusang to Ghami in Mustang.
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