All works, including roads, blacktopping works and bridges, on the 150-kilometre Haa – Samtse secondary national highway in Bhutan are expected to be complete by June.
The Chief Engineer from the Department of Roads (DoR) of Thimphu division, Chador Gyeltshen, said only the blacktopping works are left now, adding that the works have been awarded to five different contractors.
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“We expect them to complete the work on time and it has been delayed due to weather conditions at different places,” he told Business Bhutan.
The highway starts from Jyenkana in Samar Gewog in Haa and passes through the Tegola peak and then to Khamena and Sangbeykha Dungkhag.
The highway is also estimated to reduce the distance between Haa and Samtse by over 120kms, besides connecting the two remote Gewogs of Sangbeykha and Gakiling of Haa.
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According to the Chief Engineer, all formation cutting/ first cutting works have been completed and around 85% of base course (layers below blacktopping layer) and 30% of blacktopping works have been completed.
Road construction from both Haa and Samtse in Bhutan is being undertaken by the DoR.
He added that as it always snows and rains at Tegola, it is muddy everywhere and becomes difficult to continue the work. Still, the works are continued to complete the project on time.
“The secondary national highway is expected to bring development to remote gewogs and business will boom for the farmers growing oranges and cardamom,” he said.
Haa- Samtse secondary national highway is estimated to cost around Nu1.9bn. The highway was expected to be completed by 2018. The 150-kilometer highway comprises 75km of secondary highway, 25km of gewog centre road and 50km of farm road.