Under-construction bridge in Ramechhap collapses before completion

Ramechhap: A concrete bridge being built across the Tamakoshi River, intended to connect Kunauri in Manthali Municipality-6 with Bhatauli Thedikhola in Ward No. 7, has collapsed before its completion.

On Sunday morning, the slab of one of the under-construction spans fell completely. The slab had already developed a crack on May 9, 2025.

According to resident Pandav Prasai, the construction company had attempted to patch up the section, but it ultimately gave way and fell to the ground on Sunday morning.

‘The slab that had been cracked earlier was being patched up in collusion between the technical staff and the construction company to somehow hand it over, but it didn’t hold. On Sunday morning, the slab in the middle of the bridge completely broke and fell down,’ he said.

The Bridge Branch of the Department of Roads awarded the contract of the bridge to Kalika–Kalpavriksha JV in the fiscal year 2021–22. The bridge was built under the “Design and Build” model.

The bridge was designed to be 230 meters long and 11 meters wide. The contract was signed for Rs. 225.54 million, excluding VAT.

Although the deadline for the bridge’s construction was until mid-September 2025, the construction company was preparing to complete and hand over the bridge by the end of this June. However, the bridge collapsed before its completion.

The bridge was intended to directly connect Wards 6 and 7 of Manthali Municipality, providing a shorter route from Manthali to Khandadevi, Doramba Shailung, and Sunapati Rural Municipalities.