Work has begun on installing a Bailey bridge at Banshilaghat on the Sunkoshi River, an essential transport route linking Khotang and Udayapur. After the concrete bridge at Phoksingtar was swept away by floods, several areas in Khotang were effectively cut off, creating a “natural blockade.”
Because road conditions made vehicle movement difficult, authorities began constructing an alternative route. The Koshi Province government purchased the Bailey bridge and handed over installation responsibilities to the Physical Infrastructure Development Office, Khotang.
After the Phoksingtar bridge was destroyed, thousands of residents in southern Khotang struggled with daily travel. Reaching Udayapur became especially difficult for people from Barahapokhari, Jantedhunga, Khotehang, and Diprung Chuichumma rural municipalities, including those traveling to the district headquarters, Diktel. Once the Bailey bridge is operational, it will provide easier access to major service centers and markets such as Beltar in Udayapur, Dharan, Itahari, Biratnagar, and Jhapa, according to Shalikram Banjara.
The Physical Infrastructure Development Office initiated contract procedures for the installation at an estimated cost of Rs 10m. Among the bidders, Gurukul Builders and Suppliers of Rautahat won the contract at Rs 5.7m including tax. Chief engineer Binam Dahal said all construction and installation work will be completed by mid-Mangsir, allowing the bridge to come into operation by the end of December.
The Bailey bridge will be 51.81 meters long and 4.1 meters wide. Dahal said long-term provincial and local plans aim to significantly improve southern Khotang’s connectivity to Udayapur and major Tarai cities. All necessary materials have already reached the site. Locals expect the bridge to ease daily life and bring improvements in education, health, trade, agriculture, and social activities.
Construction has generated excitement and relief in surrounding rural municipalities. Since the earlier bridge was washed away, schoolchildren, patients, and daily wage workers have all been severely affected. Once completed, the Bailey bridge will ease travel from Khotang to Tarai districts via Beltar. Local traders also expect reduced transport costs to markets in Beltar, Dharan, and Itahari.
Chief Minister Hikmat Karki said the Koshi Provincial Government has identified Banshilaghat as a key road network junction and prioritized the Bailey bridge construction to strengthen Khotang-Udayapur connectivity. The province purchased the Bailey bridge for Rs 18.7m and is advancing the project accordingly.
According to CPN-UML district member Suman Rai, the bridge will unlock new opportunities for local development. It will make it easier to transport agricultural produce, improve access to health services, reduce travel time, and increase visitor flow to southern Khotang’s tourism sites. After its completion, rural municipalities in southern Khotang will gain direct access to the East-West Highway and service centers in Madhes Province.
The 51-meter Bailey bridge at Banshilaghat will not only provide immediate relief to flood-affected residents but also mark an important step toward sustainable development, said Bajindra Bista, president of Nepali Congress Jantedhunga Rural Municipality. He said the bridge will transform transportation, trade, and livelihoods across southern Khotang as well as Aamchowk and Ram Prasad Rai Rural Municipalities in Bhojpur.
