Guigad River Bridge Remains Incomplete After 15 Years, Travel Risks Persist

The Guigad River truss bridge connecting Bajura’s district headquarters, Martadi, has deteriorated and reached a dangerous condition. Currently, only one vehicle is allowed to cross at a time. Although the Road Division Office in Sanfebagar has released NPR 52.8 million to the contractor company, the bridge failed to support even 30 tons during load testing. Construction of the bridge began in 2011 (2068 BS), but despite the use of substandard materials and extended deadlines, the bridge remains unfinished, prompting locals to call for its reconstruction.

Transport is still operating over the Guigad River bridge, but due to its unsafe condition, the Road Division Office in Sanfebagar has posted signage allowing only one vehicle to pass at a time. The bridge’s dilapidation is attributed to negligence by the truss bridge construction company. In June 2011, the Road Division Office and Rajendra Thigin JV had signed an agreement to complete construction by August 2013 (2070 Shrawan 30 BS). The company commenced work with a contract worth NPR 59.61 million, but failed to meet the deadline.

After the company claimed completion in 2018 (2075 BS), inspections revealed that substandard and insufficient materials had been used. While the bridge was required to support a load of 45 tons, engineers conducting load tests found it could not even bear 30 tons, showing significant flexibility. Local teacher Bahadur Thapa has emphasized the need for bridge reconstruction. The Road Division Office has already released approximately 95% of the contract amount to the contractor.