Thursday 24 July 2008

Bhutan : Detour to allow widening work

24 July, 2008 - Traffic on the Thimphu-Phuentsholing highway is taking the Pasakha-Manitar route to allow faster progress of widening work at Kamji, 10 km from Phuentsholing.

According to a GREF official, widening work was progressing at a snail’s pace as work had to be halted from time to time to let vehicles pass by.

He also added that the Jumja area was not safe for travellers, as continuous rainfall has made the soil extremely unstable causing unpredictable landslides.

“Without any disturbance in work, widening the road to 10 metres could be finished by September,” he said.

The Pasakha-Manitar road, which connects to Gedu, is 55 km, 10 km more than Phuentsholing-Gedu highway.

However, travellers say that the Pasakha-Manitar road is no better.

At Bhalujora, a landslide prone area near Pasakha, many light vehicles have ended up stranded. The continuous rainfall had increased the level of the stream and some vehicles get trapped in the slush and debris.

http://www.kuenselonline.com

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