Koshi bridge construction comes as a response to the necessity considering the fact that inspection reports had already reported that the operation period of the bridge at the Koshi Barrage had expired. The bridge was at risk of collapsing. As a response to keep the traffic moving along, the Koshi bridge was designed immediately after the Koshi Barage embankment crisis and it has come into operation seven years after its conception.Locals are excited with the newly built Koshi bridge claiming it to be more than just an alternative to the existing Koshi Barrage Bridge. It has established direct link between residents from Udayapur and Sunsari districts. Earlier, they had to travel for longer distance via East-West Highway for visiting the districts.
The construction of the bridge has also paved the way for the extension of alternative road network like Mid-Hill Highway, which is under construction. The locals from these areas can reach the capital in very less time through Mid-Hill Highway after it comes into operation.
"The alterative highway and Mid-Hill Highway will be connected to the bridge," said Bimlendra Nidhi, minister for physical planning and infrastructure while inaugurating the Bridge on Monday amid a grand celebration program that was attended by Prime Minister Sushil Koirala. He added that the bridge construction has also shortened the distance of Kathmandu for the people residing in the surrounding areas.
The minister claimed that the bridge will act as backbone for the new road networks, which are under-construction as alternative of the East-West Highway.
Along with transportation, the bridge is expected to open up new economic oppurtinities in the region and the immediate locality. Shivhari Sapkota, chief of eastern regional road directorate said that the new bridge will add multi-dimensional values to the people from the eastern part of the country. "The bridge will enhance economic growth and create opportunities as it connects two important national and regional business hubs, Dharan and Hetauda," he said.
Elaborating on the benefits that the Bridge is expected in improving road connectivity in the region, he informed that it will connect the Chatara-Rampur-Gaighat-Sindhuli road, when the road construction completes. Along with that, Sapkota said that residents of Taplejung, Terhathum, Sankhuwasabha and Dhankutta will be equally benefited from it, claiming that the bridge and the subsequent road connectivity will make their travel to Kathmandu easier and shorter.
Ramesh Bista, chief of Sunsari Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Barahchhetra area chapter said that the locals of areas including Chatara, Gaighat, Sindhuli, and Hetauda will benefit from the bridge as it will bring many development opportunities for them too.
"The bridge will be linked with various road networks. It will also propel tourism trade aspects in these areas and will help the eastern region in making progress in the economic, social, education and health sector," said Bista. He further added that to materialize these benefits, the road networks under construction in the area should be completed at the earliest.
The Bridge constructed at the Mainamaini VDC of Udayapur and Barahakshetra of Sunsari along the Dharan-Chatara-Gaighat-Katari-Sindhuli-Hetauda road section is 261 meters long and 10.5 meters wide. It was constructed with an investment of Rs 760 million, with 60 percent Asian Development Bank grant.
In 2008 massive floods in the Koshi River had collapsed the embankment of Koshi Barrage and swept away thousands of hectares of arable lands and damaged 14-km road along the East-West highway at various places in Sunsari.
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