Construction of a bridge over the Bheri river, intended to connect Rukum West and Jajarkot under the Mid-Hill Highway, has remained stalled for over a decade.

YP Construction Pvt Ltd of Lalitpur secured the contract in 2009, agreeing to complete the approximately 100-meter bridge within 30 months at a cost of Rs134.7 million. After years of negligible progress and a termination warning from the Mid-Hill Highway Project Office, the contractor completed only 30 percent of the work before abandoning the site entirely.

The project office subsequently blacklisted YP Construction, cancelled the contract, and imposed a fine of Rs85.79 million. Since then, the tender has been reissued three times. Engineer Navin Kharel noted that two rounds saw no bidders, while the third round was rejected because the bids significantly exceeded the office's estimated cost of Rs134.7 million.

The delay has left the Jajarkot–Rukum West section of the highway disconnected. Resident Kamal KC stated that people are forced to use a precarious suspension bridge, adding that the stall has also hindered the Chaurjahari New City Development Project.

On-site, the situation is dire: only basic pillars stand, while expensive materials like steel rods and gravel, along with heavy equipment like excavators, sit rusting on the riverbank.

Local leader Khambajung Shah highlighted that the absence of the bridge forces travellers from Rukum West to take the long detour via the Neta–Kainkanda road to reach Surkhet. Furthermore, Shah noted that approximately 50 labourers and staff members have left the site without receiving their earned wages.