Two India-funded bridges inaugurated along key highway in Bhutan’s Trashigang

Thimphu: The newly constructed Revidrang and Rolong bridges along the Simtohkha–Trashigang Primary National Highway (PNH) in Bhutan, built with funding from the Government of India, were inaugurated on Thursday, Bhutan’s Department of Surface Transport (DoST) said.

“The newly constructed Revidrang and Rolong bridges along the Simtohkha–Trashigang Primary National Highway (PNH) were officially inaugurated on 12 November 2026 by His Excellency Shri Sandeep Arya and the Dasho Dzongda of Trashigang Dzongkhag Administration,” DoST, which works under Bhutan’s Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, said in a post.

India’s Ambassador to Bhutan Sandeep Arya inaugurated the bridges along with the Dasho Dzongda of Trashigang.

“The two bridges were constructed by M/s Shamballa Infra Pvt. Ltd. at a total cost of Nu. 76 million, with funding provided by the Government of India (GoI) under the Project Tied Assistance,” the DoST said.

The previous Rolong Bridge had limited load-bearing capacity and carriageway width, creating a bottleneck for traffic movement, particularly for heavy vehicles, while the Revidrang Bridge had been closed due to significant cracks in its superstructure, causing frequent disruptions to traffic and affecting the movement of emergency services, according to the department.

“With the completion of these two bridges, road connectivity along the Thimphu–Trashigang PNH is expected to improve considerably, ensuring smoother and safer traffic movement, enhancing the transportation of goods and services, and facilitating more reliable access for communities along the highway,” it said.

The department described the development as another important step towards improving the resilience and efficiency of Bhutan’s road transport network, with continued support from the Government of India.

Last month, as many as 15 High Impact Community Development Projects (HICDP) supported by the Government of India, including over 65 km of roads, 10 km of irrigation canals and two bridges, were inaugurated in Bhutan’s Mongar district.

“HICDP is a unique model of India’s support for projects identified by local communities based on their needs and aspirations,” the Indian Embassy in Thimphu had said.

In September, during External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar’s visit to Bhutan, the two sides commended the progress made in bilateral development cooperation, and Bhutan appreciated support from India for wide-ranging programmes under its 13th Five Year Plan (2024-29).

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