KHOTANG: The newly installed temporary Bailey bridge at over the Sunkoshi River at Phoksingtar along the Diktel–Gaighat road section of the Sagarmatha Highway, has formally commenced operations.

This bridge was erected following the destruction of the motorable concrete bridge due to flooding. The bridge connects Lichkiramche in Khotehang Rural Municipality-9, Khotang, with Ampatar in Rautamai Rural Municipality-5, Udayapur.

The Gaighat–Diktel Road Project Office has announced that the temporary Bailey bridge is now operational, facilitating direct transport from Diktel Bazaar, the district’s primary commercial centre, to the eastern Terai districts. With the installation of the temporary Bailey bridge in Phoksingtar, direct transportation along the Diktel–Gaighat road has resumed, reconnecting the eastern Terai districts that had been inaccessible for the past six months.

Ramkumar Hingmang, General Secretary of Khotang Transport Company, stated that the operational bridge eliminates the need for the longer route via Ghurmi–Katari. He noted, “The operational temporary Bailey bridge in Phoksingtar has reduced travel time by approximately three hours, benefiting both transport operators and passengers.” He also emphasized that this is a temporary fix and urged relevant authorities to address the situation.

The contract for the installation of the temporary Bailey bridge in Phoksingtar was awarded to M.A./S Aryan Construction Multi-Purpose Pvt. Ltd., based in Katari-3. The installation was completed under a contract valued at Rs 9,677,937, which includes Value Added Tax (VAT), as reported by Subashkumar Tiwari, Information Officer of the Project Office.