Bailey bridge installed at Arughat, army hands it over to Department of Roads

Traffic between Gorkha and Dhading has resumed after a Bailey bridge was installed at Arughat in place of the bridge over the Budhigandaki river that had been swept away by floods.

The Nepali Army completed construction on Monday and handed the Bailey bridge over to the Department of Roads.

A sudden flood in the Budhigandaki on the morning of Asoj 25 had swept away about 22 metres of the Gorkha-side section of the permanent Arughat bridge, leaving local residents struggling to cross the river.

Construction, carried out in coordination between the Nepali Army and the Gorkha Road Project starting Asoj 31, was completed just 9 days after the bridge was washed away. The roughly 27-metre-long Bailey bridge can bear a maximum load of 25 tonnes.

For now, only pedestrians and two-wheelers, including motorcycles, are allowed to cross the bridge. Four-wheeled vehicles will be permitted to use it starting tomorrow, Tuesday.