Two vital road networks disrupted by floods are now on the path to restoration with the installation of Bailey bridges in Larcha of Sindhupalchok and Bagmati of Makawanpur.

In Larcha, located along the 26-kilometre Bahrabise-Tatopani road section connecting the northern border at Tatopani, a new 54-metre-long Bailey bridge was successfully installed on Saturday. The previous bridge at the site was swept away by a flood in October last year, forcing authorities to operate a risky temporary passage using humepipes laid across the Bhotekoshi river.

According to the Road Division Office in Charikot, the new bridge was installed within a month and a half, ahead of the contract deadline, at a cost of Rs17 million. The Bailey bridge, constructed by Subarna Nirman Sewa and Creative Construction & Suppliers, is nearly complete, said Suraj Maharjan, the information officer at the division office. “Finishing touches will be made by mid-June, after which the bridge will be formally handed over for public use.”

The bridge was installed at the Phulping side of Bhotekoshi Rural Municipality, an area where the only motorable route had been destroyed by the floods and landslides. Construction teams worked tirelessly to complete the foundation and debris removal before the onset of the monsoon, said Arjun Thapa, the representative of the construction company.

Meanwhile, another crucial Bailey bridge has been installed over the Bagmati river, a key section of the Kanti Lokpath, which links Kathmandu and Hetauda of Makawanpur. The bridge installation, which began on May 21, was completed by Saturday, with vehicular traffic expected to resume from Sunday, confirmed Ratnalakshmi Bajracharya, chief of Kanti Lokpath Road Project.

The Bagmati river bridge, located between Bhimphedi Rural Municipality-8 of Makawanpur and Bagmati Rural Municipality-2 of Lalitpur, had suffered significant damage during floods on October 11 and 12 last year. One of the bridge spans on the Makawanpur side was washed away, leading to the creation of a temporary access road using soil and sand. However, recurrent flooding during the monsoon repeatedly destroyed the makeshift route, prompting the need for a permanent solution.

Approximately 50 workers and technicians, assisted by three excavators, were mobilised to install the 24.4-metre-long and 5-metre-wide Bailey bridge. Gabion walls are also being constructed to protect the structure from future flood damage, according to project engineer Sajan Neupane. The bridge installation and associated protective works were contracted at a cost of approximately Rs15 million.

The completion of these two Bailey bridges is expected to significantly ease transportation challenges and restore vital connectivity in the affected regions before the monsoon intensifies.