Although the maximum load-bearing capacity of the concrete bridge at Mulghat is only 70 tons, trucks weighing 140 tons from the Arun III project have come into operation, increasing the risk of damage to the bridge.
What you should know
The Arun III Hydropower Project under construction in Sankhuwasabha is constructing an underpass over the Tamor River at Mulghat in Dhankuta. The 60-meter-long underpass is being constructed as it is risky to carry the project's heavy construction materials over the bridge.
There is a 200-meter-long concrete bridge built over the Tamor River at Mulghat under the Dharan-Dhankuta section of the Koshi Highway in 2040 BS. The maximum load-bearing capacity of the bridge is only 70 tons. However, the weight of the truck including the project's transformers, turbines and other heavy equipment can reach 140 tons, informed the DGM of the project, Pankaj Anand.
According to him, approval has been obtained from the Road Department for the construction of an underpass in Tamor. 'We started building the underpass after receiving permission from the Nepal government,' he said. He said that the construction of the underpass was started because trucks loaded with heavy project materials would damage the bridge if they were to pass through the bridge. He said that heavy materials would be transported before the water level rises in the Tamor River.
Rajendra Prasad Sah, Chief of the Road Division Office, Dhankuta, informed that the maximum load-bearing capacity of the Dharan-Dhankuta road is only about 40 tons. According to him, goods vehicles weighing more than 40 tons are not allowed to operate on the Dharan-Dhankuta section of the Koshi Highway.
Locals complain that the underpass was built, saying that the bridge could be damaged while transporting heavy construction materials for the project, but the load-bearing capacity of the road was not taken into account. DGM Pankaj Anand, however, claimed that the Nepal government has given permission to transport materials using the highway for the construction of the project.
When asked about the project transporting more than the load-bearing capacity of the Dharan-Dhankuta road, the Chief District Officers of Dhankuta and Sankhuwasabha said that there may have been an agreement on this issue at the department level. Dhankuta Chief District Officer Binod Kumar Khadka said that since it is a project of national pride, facilitation is done 'from above' through agreement.
Similarly, Sankhuwasabha Chief District Officer Sirjana Thapaliya said that she was unaware of the load-bearing capacity of the road. She said that she had received information that the Arun III project had obtained permission from the department to transport materials.
