Greenfield alignment reduces overall route length from 14.1km to 12.6km
TIL BDR GHALLEY | Thimphu
The Gelephu–Tareythang road and bridges project is moving towards construction after a revised alignment shortened the planned route by 1.5km, while detailed design and contractor prequalification are progressing ahead of a planned construction start in June 2027.
The project, part of the Southern East-West Highway, is supported by the World Bank-funded Accelerating Transport and Trade Connectivity in Eastern South Asia (ACCESS) Bhutan Project, with an allocated budget of approximately USD 233.350 million, or about Nu 20.395 billion.
Minister for Infrastructure and Transport (MoIT), Lyonpo Chandra Bdr Gurung said a new greenfield alignment had been finalised for the Tareythang segment following an assessment of available options, including road safety considerations.
“We have finalized a new greenfield alignment for the Tareythang segment,” Lyonpo said.
The change has reduced the length of the originally proposed dual-lane carriageway widening from 3.9km to 2.4km, cutting about 1.5km from the section.
“With this new alignment at Tareythang, the overall road length has been reduced to 12.6km from 14.1km,” he said.
The approximately four-kilometre four-lane carriageway between Gelephu and Chhuzanggang remains unchanged.
The Gelephu–Chhuzanggang section is being designed as a four-lane divided highway, with two separate carriageways carrying two traffic lanes each. The design is intended to increase traffic capacity and safety while accommodating future growth.
The road will provide a missing link in the strategic transport corridor connecting the Southern East-West Highway, from Samtse to Samdrupjongkhar, with Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC), including its international airport, railway and dry port.
The project also includes the approximately one-kilometre Mau River Bridge, designed as a four-lane dual-carriageway bridge.
The bridge will span the wide Mau River floodplain while allowing elephants and other wildlife to pass underneath, helping maintain wildlife movement and supporting the project’s environmental and ecological objectives.
The revised Tareythang alignment has also changed the number of bridges under the project from five to six.
“We have also finalized the bridge span arrangements and bridge types,” the Lyonpo said.
He said the project had now reached an advanced stage of detailed study following the major alignment and bridge decisions.
The feasibility study for the road and bridges was completed through collaboration between the Ministry and the GMC authority, while the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment has since been finalised.
The contract for the Detailed Engineering Design was signed on January 7, 2026, with the joint venture of Consulting Engineers Group Limited, India, and DOHWA Engineering Co., Ltd, South Korea, with Progressive Research & Consultancy Service, Bhutan, as sub-consultant.
The contract became effective on January 21, and detailed engineering design commenced in January.
“We are targeting completion of the full detailed design by December 2026, while continuing to target commencement of construction works by June 2027,” Lyonpo Chandra said.
Construction is scheduled to be completed by December 2030.
The Ministry is conducting contractor prequalification alongside the detailed design to reduce the time required for procurement.
Prequalification documents have already been published, inviting national and international contractors that meet the requirements to submit applications.
“The parallel approach has been adopted to save procurement time in screening and selecting the highly capable and competent contractors,” the Lyonpo said.
The submission deadline has been set for October 2026.
Following evaluation, contractors meeting the specified technical, financial, experience and other qualification requirements will be shortlisted or prequalified. They will then be invited to participate in the subsequent bidding process through the issuance of bidding documents.
The project is expected to require the acquisition of approximately 4,670 decimals of private land, affecting around 223 land plots and 69 structures belonging to approximately 20 households across Namkhaling, Chhuzanggang, Umling and Tareythang.
The Department is finalising the land acquisition requirements, including assessment of affected assets and applicable compensation.
In accordance with the World Bank Environmental and Social Framework, the finalised land acquisition and compensation information will be publicly disclosed to affected communities and the wider public through appropriate channels, including stakeholder consultations.
Following finalisation and clearance by the Government and the World Bank, the compensation process will be initiated.
The objective is to complete the required compensation before construction begins.
Once completed, the project will strengthen the transport connection between the Southern East-West Highway and GMC, while linking the city with major planned infrastructure including its international airport, railway and dry port.
For a project intended to support the long-term transport and economic development of the region, the revised alignment, completed bridge planning and parallel procurement process mark a shift from planning towards construction, with detailed design due to be completed by the end of this year and construction scheduled to begin in June 2027.
