Phuentsholing Thimphu highway in Bhutan

Thimphu: Project Dantak officials said that fifty percent of the formation cutting work on the Phuentsholing-Thimpu highway, along a 45 km stretch between Kamji and Takthi, had been completed.

The stretch lies in the 77.5 km route between Chukha and Kharbandi, which falls under Phase II of the project. Double laning of the remaining 20 km route between Kharbandi and Kamji and a 12.5 km route between Takhti and Chukha will also be taken up this year.

On the 82.5 km to 131 km bypass road between Kharbandi and Chukha, which falls in phase III of the project, Dantak officials said that a detailed project report would be ready by June 2008, after which work would start this year.

The existing 5 km double-laned road between Phuentsholing and Kharbandi would also be ‘strengthened’ this year. Dantak officials also said that a 100-metre bridge and 55-metre bridge, being built on the Pasakha-Monitor road, would be completed by the end of this year.

The declining Hashimara-Phuentsholing road is also being strengthened with work starting from August 2008.

In addition to this, the 50 km Rangia to Samdrup Jongkhar road is also being double-laned to meet increased traffic flow.

Dantak will also be resurfacing around 111 km of roads in Bhutan in 2008. These include the Daranga- Trashigang (43 km), Chunzom-Haa-Paro (43 km), Chumzom to Drukgyel Dzong (10 km), Phuentsholing-Thimphu (10 km) and Haa-Damthang (4 km).