The construction of the Miteri bridge—that connects Tatopani in Sindhupalchok to Khasa in Tibet—has gained momentum. The bridge, damaged by the 2015 earthquake, has remained closed for the past three years.

Construction workers of Tianshun Road and Bridge Company, a Chinese government company, are laying the foundation of the bridge. “We have constructed a dam in the river to dig for the foundation of the bridge. We are also constructing a support wall for the bridge,” Dabuti Sherpa, the vice-chairperson of Bhotekoshi Rural Municipality, quoted a Chinese bridge contractor as saying.

According to Sherpa, the Chinese builder plans to complete the reconstruction of the infrastructure in the bridge area within May 2019. “Construction works are being carried out using new technologies. The infrastructure are being built on both Nepali and Indian sides,” said Sherpa.

As per the agreement, the Miteri bridge will be widened from the current 4 metres to 12 metres. Bed Bahadur Shrestha, chairman of Sindhupalchok Chamber of Commerce and Industry, expressed hope that the border point would open soon after the construction of bridge, road and dry port. “The Chinese government had taken initiatives to build the infrastructure. We hope the construction will be completed soon,” said Shrestha.

According to Chinese police officials, the border point will open after the completion of Liping road in Sindhupalchok. The work will then progress towards removing the infrastructure of the bridge and clearing of the debris at Liping bazaar, according to officials.

The China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) has been repairing the Liping road that was damaged in the 2015 earthquake and the Bhote Koshi floods a year after. The Chinese government has directed the CRCC to complete the construction of road within eight months. “The construction of dry port is almost complete,” said Krishna Gopal Gurung, DSP of the Armed Police Force at the border. “We have been monitoring the border area to check on the progress,” said Gurung.

The Chinese government had started building the Rs1.2 billion dry port in Larcha five years ago. Although the international standard facility was slated to be ready within two and a half years, it was stalled in August 2014 due to the floods and landslides in June and the devastating earthquake a year later.