Pasakha bridge opened to traffic yesterday by the prime minister, Lyonchhoen Jigmi Y Thinley

Pasakha industries should not face problems in the rainy season with an all weather bridge over the Padazekhachu, on the Pasakha-Manitar road, opened to traffic yesterday by the prime minister, Lyonchhoen Jigmi Y Thinley.

The 100 m long and nine metre wide bridge has a load capacity of 70 metric tonnes (MT) and cost Nu 63.58M to build. Construction began last year.

“Without a permanent bridge, industries faced a lot of difficulties during monsoon,” said the works and human settlement minister, Lyonpo Yeshey Zimba at the inauguration. “It isn’t the biggest but nonetheless a very important one.”

About 140 heavy vehicles ply to and from the Pasakha industrial estate everyday.

Lyonpo Yeshey Zimba also thanked project DANTAK and the Indian government for their continued support.

DANTAK officials said that the new bridge would provide all weather connectivity for all kinds of heavy vehicles to Pasakha industrial area.

The inaugural ceremony was also attended by the Indian ambassador, Pavan K Varma, the director general of border roads, Lt Gen MC Badhani and the chief engineer of Project DANTAK, Brigadier US Dadu.

According to DANTAK officials, the Pasakha-Manitar road, envisaged as a bypass to the slide prone area of Ramitey, Sorchhen and Jumja on the Asian highway of Phuentsholing-Thimphu road, was handed over to the roads department in February 2008, except for two bridges at 0.11 km and 2.85 km from Pasakha industrial estate.

“Pasakha, being a major industrial estate in Bhutan located across the Padazekhachu, the need for a permanent bridge for swift transportation of all raw materials and machineries was felt since years ago,” states a report on the bridge from DANTAK.

Source: Kuenselonline