Rinzin Lhamo
The gewog centre roads quality across the country is good
in general.
That was what the
Works and Human Set-tlement, Lyonpo Dorji Choden said during the
29th meet the press held on 3 February.
“There are few issues on the poor quality of the road and continuous monitoring is being car-ried out,” Lyonpo said.
Presenting the cur-rent status, Lyonpo Dorji Choden said that con-struction of 23 Gewog
Connectivity (GC) roads have been completed, while 24 GC roads are be-ing blacktopped.
Improvement works are also being carried out in 45 GC roads today. Four roads are being funded by different sources and nine new roads are also under construction.
However, Lunana, Soed, and Lingzhi do not have the GC roads at present, Lyonpo said.
Meanwhile, Lyonchen
| Tshering Tobgay also | said blacktopping is | Transporting of wet sand |
| updated about roads | the last stage of work. | from Punatsangchhu to- |
| development. Lyonchen | Improvement works like | wards Thimphu affected |
| said 114 GC roads that | drainage, sub bases, | the road condition lead- |
| stretch about 1,000 km | alignments took more | ing to potholes. |
| require blacktopping. | time than blacktopping, | “We need to take care |
| “It costs Nu. 3.65 bil- | she explained. | of the road after the con- |
| lion,” Lyonchen said. | “When we are blacktop- | struction and blacktop- |
| “Most of them are funded | ping 1,000 km of road, I | ping,” the minister said, |
| by the government of | suppose small problem | pointing out cost would |
| India.” | will definitely be there,” | increase to increase the |
| There are 84 packages, | Lyonpo Dorji Choden | thickness of blacktopping. |
| Lyonchen said, adding it | said. | “Today we are spending |
| creates opportunity for | There are also factors | almost three million per |
| the contractors. | that contribute to dete- | km for blacktopping and |
| Lyonpo Dorji Choden | riorating road conditions. | even that is insufficient |
if we have to put in good drainage system.”
Country’s economic sta-tus and challenging site locations also contribute to the quality. Right tem-perature, good climatic condition, and a good site are required for a better blacktopping of a road,
Lyonpo said.
The Works and Human Settlement Minister Dorji Choden highlighted that if the base course of the road is done properly along with proper instal-lation of drainage along the road, 25mm of black-topping will be enough.
Meanwhile, Lyonchen
Tshering Tobgay further said GC roads are primar-ily constructed for the gewog administration and the people.
“If vehicles carrying quarries and logs travel in that road, it will be de-stroyed within a month,” he said.
“The road is meant for rural traffic and not for industrial traffic where truck carries sand, miner-als and logs.”