KATHMANDU: The construction of the Kamala bridge, which connects Siraha and Dhanusha and serves as a lifeline for the Madhesh region, has reached its final phase. Officials plan to bring the bridge into operation by November.
According to the secretariats of Siraha constituency-1 lawmaker Bablu Gupta and constituency-2 lawmaker Shivshankar (Shiv) Yadav, the project gained momentum following discussions with Infrastructure Development Minister Sunil Lamsal. The project had been stalled for 15 years due to legal disputes between the contractor and the insurance company, but intervention from the Ministry of Infrastructure Development helped resolve these issues.
The reconstruction of the damaged tenth pillar and the concreting of the substructure are now complete. Furthermore, the strengthening of three pillars, including the foundation, and the load testing have been finalized. The remaining work involves concreting the superstructure slab, which is expected to be completed next week once water levels in the river subside. Repair work on the approach road on the Dhanusha side, damaged by monsoon rains, will also resume once the water recedes.
The contract for the Kamala bridge was awarded to Pappu Lumbini JV in 2011. The project stalled in June 2021 after a pillar collapsed just as the bridge was nearing completion. In addition to the bridge work, the ministry has allocated Rs 250 million for river control measures. Nineteen companies have submitted bids for the project, with officials preparing to open financial proposals next week following technical evaluations.
