The bridge connects Tanahun with Chitwan and forms the lifeline for locals in these two districts. [break]
The department will add eight supporting plates to the bridge whose two plates broke down causing traffic congestion. “We have planned to restore the two-way use of the bridge before Dashain,” Chief of the Western Regional Road Division Office, Shaligram Regmi, said.
Regmi put the cost of maintaining the bridge at Rs 1.5 million but said changing the wooden drake into metallic and blacktopping would cost around Rs 30 million.
He, however, said that legal formalities would delay the complete repair works of the bridge. “We have to adhere to the Public Procurement Act and regulations while purchasing materials for repair works,” Regmi reasoned.
Local youths have been permitting only one-way traffic over the bridge since last Thursday after the support structure broke down.
The bridge, whose life expectancy is estimated at around 70-80 years, was built by China in 1971 in course of constructing the Prithvi Highway. Most of the wood of the bridge built using draking system has decayed, while its metal has corroded.
The bridge with the capacity of 15 metric tons is used by over 2,000 vehicles daily. Engineer at the Western Regional Road Division Office, Tanahun, Bishnu Prasad Poudel, said the bridge was damaged before its expected life due to overuse.
“Overloaded vehicles use the bridge and we have not even done regular repair works,” Poudel explained.
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