Bailey bridge planned after Arughat-Dhading bridge swept away

After a debris-laden flood in the Budhigandaki river swept away the motorable bridge connecting Arughat, Gorkha, and Dhading, preparations have begun to install a Bailey bridge there.

According to the Gorkha Road Project, the materials needed to install the Bailey bridge are being brought from the Road Division Office in Hetauda.

Project chief Binod Pun said the materials are likely to arrive by tomorrow, and construction will begin as soon as they do.

The Nepali Army said it had already sent a team to the site on Sunday.

Birodh Rijal, commanding officer of the Rudradhwoj Battalion, said a reconnaissance team has already reached the site and work will begin once materials arrive from Hetauda.

According to the Department of Roads' preliminary damage assessment, the flood has damaged two bridges in Gorkha district.

The Sotikhola bridge connecting wards 2 and 3 of Arughat Rural Municipality has been completely swept away.

The department said a 22-metre-long RCC section of the Arughat bridge connecting Gorkha and Dhading has been swept away.

The bridge had a 60-metre truss section and a 25-metre RCC structure, and the truss section still appears to be standing.

The department is studying whether a Bailey bridge can be placed on the remaining truss to quickly restore traffic.

The department says the full extent of the flood damage will only become clear after a detailed technical assessment of the bridge.