Construction of the long-awaited Gelephu-Tareythang road is expected to begin in June next year, with the government finalising engineering designs and beginning the process of selecting contractors. A revised alignment has also brought the length of the planned road down from 14.1 kilometres to 12.6 kilometres.
The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, during the recent Meet the Press, said preparations for the project have reached an advanced stage. Feasibility studies have been completed, while detailed engineering work is expected to conclude by the end of this year.
“We have completed the feasibility studies as of now, and detailed engineering studies are being carried out. The detailed engineering studies are also going very well, and we have reached an advanced stage. We expect to complete this work by the end of this year. And we are anticipating beginning the construction works by mid next year,” Infrastructure and Transport Minister Chandra Bahadur Gurung said.
A key revision to the project involves the alignment towards Tareythang. The change has shortened the proposed road by 1.5 kilometres. However, the four-kilometre, four-lane stretch between Gelephu and Chhuzanggang will remain as originally planned.
The road will also require six bridges, one more than initially proposed following the alignment change. Among them will be an approximately one-kilometre-long, four-lane bridge across the Mau Chhu.
Preparations to bring contractors on board have already begun. The department is carrying out a prequalification process to assess interested companies on their technical capabilities, financial strength and previous experience. Firms that satisfy the requirements will be eligible to participate in the subsequent bidding process.
Land acquisition, however, remains another major task that must be completed before construction can get underway.
Around 4,670 decimals of privately owned land are expected to be affected by the project. This includes 223 plots and 69 structures spread across Namkhaling, Chhuzanggang, Umling and Tareythang. Compensation details are being finalised and will be processed after receiving the necessary clearances from the government and the World Bank.
For communities along the proposed corridor, the road is expected to significantly improve access to Gelephu while opening up new economic opportunities.
“We are very excited to hear about the new road that will connect Gelephu and Tareythang and significantly shorten the distance. If the new road reduces the distance to around 15 kilometres or less, we feel we could even walk to Gelephu. For those travelling by vehicle, it will make the journey much easier and faster. It will also create better opportunities for us to do business and sell our goods in Gelephu,” resident Leki Dolma said.
For some residents, the project marks another major change in connectivity in an area where travelling to Gelephu was once considerably more difficult.
“Earlier, we used to carry our goods on our backs and travel to Gelephu by boat. Sometimes, we did not even have enough money to pay for the boat. Later, the Gyalsung road benefited us immensely. Now, hearing that a much bigger road is being planned, which could help us reach Gelephu in about 15 minutes, makes us very happy and excited,” resident Norbu Wangmo said.
The road and bridge works are part of the Southern East-West Highway and are being supported under the World Bank-funded ACCESS Bhutan Project. The overall project allocation stands at about USD 233 million, equivalent to more than Nu 20 billion.
Construction is expected to run until December 2030.
Once operational, the new corridor is expected to establish a direct connection between the Southern East-West Highway and Gelephu Mindfulness City. It will also improve access for surrounding communities to key infrastructure planned for the city, including its airport, railway and dry port.
