Continuous rainfall washes away key Concrete Bridge in Sankhuwasabha
The bridge was swept away last night due to continuous heavy rainfall and subsequent flooding and landslides.
KATHMANDU: A concrete bridge over the Ikuwa River, connecting Bhotkhola Rural Municipality, Sankhuwasabha has been washed away.
The bridge was swept away last night due to continuous heavy rainfall and subsequent flooding and landslides.
The destruction of the bridge, located in Makalu Rural Municipality-3, has halted all transportation to Bhotkhola Rural Municipality.
According to Sabin Koirala, the chief engineer of the North-South Koshi Road Project, the collapse of the bridge between Makalu-3 and Bhotkhola-4 has completely disrupted transport in the northern region.
He informed that the bridge, which was part of the North-South Highway, was 20 meters long.
The project’s chief, Koirala, stated that the damage, including the bridge and its pillars, is estimated to exceed Rs 40 million.
The bridge was constructed in the year 2079 B.S. With its destruction, transportation services in some wards of Makalu Rural Municipality and Bhotkhola Rural Municipality have come to a standstill.
Previously, transportation was operational from the district headquarters, Khandbari, to Barun in Bhotkhola, covering a distance of 80 kilometers.
Koirala also mentioned that the landslide has damaged various sections of the North-South Highway.
Additionally, the flood on the night of Jestha 31 had already put the concrete bridge over Sabha River on the Koshi Highway at risk.
Furthermore, Koirala reported damage to several other bridges, including the bridge over Hewa River connecting Chainpur Municipality and Panchkhapan Municipality, the bridge linking Chichila Rural Municipality-2 and 3, and the concrete bridges over Chyang and Kaguwa Rivers leading to the Arun III Powerhouse.
