The travel has become difficult due to the dilapidation of about a dozen bridges in the Baglung and Gulmi sections of the Kaligandaki Corridor. The trust bridges that were put in place by the Nepali Army while opening the road track 12 years ago are now dilapidated. Nine bridges in this corridor, 3 in Baglung and 6 in Gulmi, are at risk. The bridges are not paved at these places, which poses a risk to transport operations.

Even though dozens of vehicles have started plying daily after being blacktopped, the work of repairing and constructing new ones on the dilapidated bridges has not been done. Vehicles are now plying on the dilapidated bridges at great risk. The old bridges are rusting. The decks placed in the middle of the bridges are shaking. Some of them have become sticky and slippery due to rust.

Recently, the number of passengers going from Bhairahawa to Muktinath has increased in this corridor. Many Indian tourists and pilgrims also use this road. Even 14-wheeler trucks carrying goods from Bhairahawa to Baglung and Beni have started plying on this road. ‘The bridges are dilapidated, there is a fear of accidents,’ said Hari Bahadur Chhetri of Jaimini Municipality 5. ‘It has been 12 years since the army has temporarily built a bridge, and there is still no sign of a concrete bridge.’

The Theulekhola bridge connecting Jaimini 1 and 5, the Launwakhola bridge in Jaimini 7, and the Palungkhola bridge connecting Baglung and Gulmi are at greater risk. The Kathekhola concrete bridge connecting Maldhunga to Ward 10 Galuwa in Baglung Municipality 1 is also dilapidated. This bridge was built by the then District Development Committee in 2066 BS for small vehicles. Four years ago, the northern pillar of this bridge was destroyed by the Kathekhola flood. Even after minor repairs, it is still dangerous. The bridge, built only for small vehicles, poses a risk to large vehicles, said Baglung Municipality Engineer Dipendra Bhandari.

Local Omkar Thapa said that the Palungkhola bridge in Dhus, which connects Baglung and Gulmi, is also a risk to pedestrians. He complained that the bridge is deep and steep, making it difficult for locals to cross the bridge. After the corridor was built, residents of Baralba in Kaligandaki Rural Municipality of Gulmi and Dhus village in Baglung have moved to the side of the road. Locals say that the bridge here, which has become like a market, is dilapidated, increasing the risk of accidents.

The Kalakhola bridge connecting Baglung Municipality 10 and 13 was built three years ago. Apart from that, bridges including Dhapakhola and Arjewa have been built and put into operation last year. ‘Bridges have not been built in large rivers and places with high risks,’ said Jaimini Municipality 5 Chairman Thag Bahadur Chhetri, ‘Did they not see the risk or are they indifferent?’ He said that the municipality will be blamed if there is a risk and an accident. Last year, a flood in the Theule River washed away houses near this bridge, and after the pillar on the south side was affected, the municipality built a wall to stop the flood.

Shivlal Dahal, Senior Division Engineer of the Corridor Project Office, Palpa, said that 14 concrete bridges should be built, including 3 in Baglung, 6 in Gulmi, 9 on the corridor side, and 5 in the Parbat section on the Kaligandaki Highway. ‘We have sent a letter to the Ministry of Finance for approval through the National Planning Commission,’ Dahal said, ‘We cannot say until it is approved, otherwise we have a plan to build it.’ He said that the demand was made with a cost estimate, so if it is approved, the construction of the bridges will begin in the winter.

The road from Balewa to Maldhunga in the corridor has not yet been completed. The deadline, which was extended for the first time in Mangsir 2079 and for the second time on Jestha 17 for one year, has also expired. The blacktop has not been completed here yet. The contractor company has delayed the work in the name of removing the material from the landslide that occurred in Kalakhola last year.

Although the contract was awarded to ‘Khadak Krishna B&JV’ company, B&JV i.e. Bidari Construction is carrying out the work on this section. The construction company has been claiming that 90 percent of the work has been completed. A contract was awarded for blacktopping an 8-km stretch at a cost of Rs 990 million. Dahal said that Bidari Construction, which has not been able to complete the work, will be asked to hand over the main work soon. ‘90 percent of the work has been completed, now we will hand over the work as soon as the blacktop is completed,’ he said, ‘Road safety work can be done later.’ He said that the process of handing over the road can be started by placing pillars on the side of the road, making dividers and painting it within a year. He said that preparations have been made to have it done in the coming Kartik, saying that it would not be good to work during the rainy season.