KATHMANDU: Bridges nearly as tall as the Dharahara are being built on the Kathmandu-Terai/Madhesh Expressway (Fast Track), with 40-meter-high structures under construction at 10 locations.
The 70.977-kilometer national pride project includes extensive tunnel and bridge works. About 33.62 percent of the expressway consists of tunnels and bridges.
The total length of tunnels and bridges is 23.864 kilometers. This includes seven tunnels with a combined length of 10.979 kilometers and 89 bridges totaling 12.885 kilometers.
Bridges alone account for 18.15 percent of the expressway length. On average, one bridge is being built every 797 meters.
The fast track passes through Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Makawanpur, and Bara. The Makawanpur section has steep hills and deep gorges. Most of the high bridges are being built in this area to shorten distance and travel time.
Nepal Army Information Officer Assistant Lieutenant Colonel Rajaram Basnet said 89 bridges are under construction. All bridges have been contracted, and work is ongoing.
“Eighty-five bridges were contracted earlier. Four were contracted in the current fiscal year,” he told MeroAuto.
According to him, nine bridges have been completed so far. Except for the four newly contracted bridges, foundation work for most bridges is complete. Pillars are in place, and superstructure work is underway.
Basnet said the high bridges will reduce travel time, lower landslide risk, and minimize environmental damage.
The expressway is being built to international standards. Parallel bridges are being constructed in hilly sections. In most locations, separate two-lane bridges are provided for each direction. The bridges are designed for a lifespan of over 100 years.
40-meter-high bridges in Makawanpur
Basnet said 10 bridges with heights around 40 meters are being built in Bakaiya and Bhimphedi rural municipalities of Makawanpur.
At Lendanda in Bakaiya-11, an 82-meter-high bridge over the Jitpur River is near completion. The bridge connects the Dhedre and Lendanda tunnels. It is 245 meters long and almost as tall as the Dharahara, which is 83.85 meters high. Railing installation is underway.
In Bhimphedi Rural Municipality’s Mahadevtar area, a 68-meter-high, 404-meter-long bridge and a 41-meter-high, 430-meter-long bridge are under construction. Superstructure work is complete.
In Lendanda, two bridges over the Chalise River leading to the Dhedre tunnel have been completed. Their heights are 54.15 meters and 43.5 meters, with lengths of 333 meters and 270 meters.
In Saraswatigaun, Bakaiya-2, a 425-meter-long bridge with a height of 41 meters is under construction. Deck slab work is ongoing. Another 250-meter-long, 42-meter-high bridge is also being built there.
In Dahidmarma, Bakaiya-5, a 240-meter-long bridge with a height of 49 meters has completed pier work. A new 530-meter-long, 45-meter-high bridge has also started, with pile work in progress.
In Bhimphedi-8, Sisneri, a 55-meter-high bridge measuring 580 meters in length is under construction. Pile work is ongoing.
Images of these tall bridges have recently gone viral on social media.
The fast track has been divided into 13 packages. Basnet said contracts have been awarded for 12 packages. Work is underway in those sections.
The Khokana-Dukuchhap section (Package 11) is yet to be contracted. The delay is due to local opposition and compensation disputes. Locals have demanded a change in the departure point.
