The Bhutanese Leading the way.
All major potholes in Thimphu city’s road network should be repaired starting next month according to Thimphu Thromde officials. The work is expected to start from February under an Asian Development Bank (ADB) contract package. “We are waiting for approval from ADB which is expected to happen some time in February,” said Thimphu Thrompon Kinley Dorji. “That is the reason we did not start repairing the roads that are already listed out in the package.”
The major potholes areas in Taba, Olakha, Semtokha, Babesa, Kawajangsa, Kala Bazaar among many others will be considered for the ADB package.
The Thrompon also said that February had favorable weather conditions to do such work. “December and January are very cold. The black topping done during such low temperatures won’t be effective and we are also avoiding monsoon seasons to carry road repair, which will bear no positive outcome,” he added.
He pointed out that the roads within the city have not been constantly maintained by the former agencies in charge of the city’s roads. “Some of the roads have not been touched for the past 10 years. They have been stressing more on highway roads and neglected the roads inside the city. That’s why there are potholes on almost all the roads,” he said.
According to the Thromde office roads damaged by private constructions will be levied penalties depending on the damage. Contractors doing work for government agencies will be held accountable repair damaged road. Cable companies digging the roads installing underground cables will have to seek approval from Thromde. The Thromde will reinstate the roads and send the bills incurred to the concerned cable operator.
On the large potholes under the bridge in Semtokha, Thrompon Kinley said that Department of Roads (DoR) has been planning a big roundabout to avoid going under t the bridge. That is why the Thromde did not try to repair the stretch.
The road behind the vegetable market (Sabji bazaar), which was dug to lay sewerage lines and made worse by continuous construction works will also be blacktopped soon under the ADB package.
The massive potholes in Taba, that was repaired by the Thromde for the third time, will now be fixed only after properly planning the drainage systems around it.
According to the Thromde, potholes due to poor drainage. Clogged water flows to the road degrading the black topping. Thimphu Thromde is currently is studying all the areas that need proper drainage systems.
“Those private roads adjunct from the main roads have blocked the drainage by placing very small hume pipes, so we plan to break it down and place proper sized ones to clear blockages,” said Thrompon Kinley. “In some places we plan to lay seal grating on the top of the drains so that water waste from the households can flow in the drain and not on the roads.”
