The Bhutanese Leading the way.
The Detailed Project Report (DPR), including full engineering designs for the Gelephu–Tareythang Road and Bridges Project, is expected to be completed by late 2026, with construction tentatively scheduled to begin in mid-2027 according to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport (MoIT).
Responding to a question during the 29th Meet-the-Press session held on 3rd July 2026, MoIT Minister Lyonpo Chandra Bdr Gurung said the project is currently in the detailed design phase under the World Bank-supported ACCESS Phase II Project, implemented by the Department of Surface Transport under MoIT.
He said that the engineering investigations, including topographic, geotechnical, traffic, hydrological and environmental studies, are nearing completion, while conceptual designs are being finalized.
Once completed, the 14-kilometre project is expected to serve as a key missing link connecting the Southern East-West Highway (Samtse–Samdrupjongkhar corridor) with the Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC), including planned infrastructure such as an international airport, railway and dry port.
Lyonpo said that the alignment has been designed to support GMC’s long-term development vision, including a four-lane divided highway from Gelephu to Chhuzanggang over about four kilometres.
The corridor will consist of two carriageways with two lanes each to improve capacity, safety and future traffic demand.
The project also includes one-kilometre-long Mau River bridge, which is being designed as a four-lane dual-carriageway structure.
The bridge is planned to span the wide Mau River floodplain, incorporating an underpass to allow movement of elephants and other wildlife, in line with environmental and ecological considerations alongside infrastructure development goals.
Once completed, the road is expected to significantly strengthen regional connectivity and support the broader economic framework of the GMC initiative.
