Traffic opens on bridge over Lalbakaiya in Nepal after 12 years — Kathmandu Post

In Nepal, vehicles have begun crossing the Tikulia bridge over the Lalbakaiya River in Rautahat District, whose construction lasted 12 years. The bridge is expected to make it easier for residents of the Gaur and Ishnath municipalities to access fields, hospitals and the district administrative center.

As the Kathmandu Post reports, construction work is nearly complete. Arun Kumar Lal Karna, head of the road office in Chandranigahapur, said that an access road still needs to be built and river channel reinforcement work carried out.

A crossing instead of dangerous boats

For residents of the villages of Banjharaha, Auriya and Mathiya, the bridge is expected to simplify travel to Gaur. Residents of Tikulia, whose agricultural land is located on the other side of the Lalbakaiya, will be able to avoid dangerous daily trips to their fields.

During the monsoon season, rising water levels made boat transport especially dangerous and complicated the transportation of patients to hospitals and farmers’ access to fields. On August 25, 2017, a boat carrying 29 people returning from agricultural work lost control in a strong current, collided with a support of the unfinished bridge and capsized. Twenty-four passengers were rescued, while five died.

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Delays and a contractor change

The foundation of the concrete bridge was laid in July 2014 with the participation of then Prime Minister Sushil Koirala. Pappu Construction was to complete the project by July 2018 for 149.327 million Nepalese rupees, but by 2017 it had completed only 17% of the work.

The Department of Roads blacklisted Pappu Construction and terminated the contract in June 2023. In September of the same year, a new contract worth 276.6 million Nepalese rupees was awarded to the Azad Dipu JV Rautahat joint venture. Its representative, Ramsagar Raut, said the project had been made operational, although river channel reinforcement is delayed because of a shortage of stones.

Gaur Mayor Shambhu Sah noted that the bridge, which could have been built in three to four years, took 12 years to construct.