Status of the Development of the Asian Highway Route in Bhutan

Status of the Development of the Asian
Highway Route in Bhutan
Karma Galay
Director
Department of Roads
Ministry of Works & Human Settlement
Royal Government of Bhutan
COUNTRY LOCATION
BHUTAN AT A GLANCE
(2013)
„
-
Area (sq.km)
Dzongkhags /Districts
Geogs (blocks)
Capital
Population (2012)
Currency
National Language
-
38,394
20
205
Thimphu
7,20,679
Ngultrum
Dzongkha
ROAD TRANSPORT VISION
2020 MILESTONES
„
„
„
„
„
„
Bring 75% of rural population within half-day’s
walk from nearest road
Upgrade current national trunk roads to carry
30-ton capacity trucks
Complete second transnational highway
(Southern E-W Highway)
Construct “dry ports” at Phuentsholing, Gelephu,
and Samdrupjongkhar
Introduce domestic air services
Improve external air links with full ILS capacity
ROAD SECTOR MASTER PLAN
(2007 – 2027)
„
Construction of Southern East-West
highway (794 km) –Primary National H/way)
New construction
Upgradation
: 506 km
: 288 km
Secondary National H/way
(inter Dzongkhag connectivity)
: 537 km
„
„
Dzongkhag Roads
: 2654 km
HIGHWAY NETWORK
ROAD NETWORK IN KM
(June 2013)
„
„
„
„
„
„
Expressway
Primary National Highway
Secondary National Highway
Dzongkhag Road
Thromde (Urban) Road
Farm Road
Access road
6
1860
578
1178
350
5376
1230
--------------------------Total:
10578
-----------------------------
11th PLAN PROGRAMMES
(July 2013 to June 2018)
„
Construction of Primary National H/way
Upgradation of National Highways
- 305 km
- 562 km
„
Construction of Dzongkhag Road
- 122 km
„
PHUENTSHOLING – THIMPHU HIGHWAY
(AH48)
Year of construction
Length (km)
-
Section
No. of lanes
Length
Phuentsholing-Chukha
Chukha-Damchu
Damchu-Thimphu
82.5 km
43.5 km
53.0 km
1968
179
2
1
2
Class
II
III
II
ASIAN HIGHWAY (AH48) FROM PHUENTSHOLING TO
THIMPHU
STATUS:
Phuentsholing to Chukha (82.5km) - completed
Chukha to Damchu Bypass (24 km):
Formation cutting
Blacktopping
Completion date
Damchu toThimphu (53km)
- 98% complete
- 44% complete
- 2015
- completed
CONSTRUCTION OF SOUTHERN EAST-WEST
HIGHWAY (SEWH) - 723 km
„
„
Existing
Missing links
- 338 km
- 385 km
„
Connect economic hubs in southern part of the
country and onward connection to India
„
Link to the Asian Highway Network in the subregion and beyond
TRANSPORT LOGISTICS - INTERNATIONAL
CONNECTIVITY
„
„
„
„
International Airport (Paro)
1 No.
Domestic Airports
3 Nos.
(Bumthang, Yonphula, Gelephu)
Nearest international seaport is Kolkata in
India (750 km by road from Phuentsholing)
Nearest railway stations from Bhutan:
-Rangia, Bongaigaon, Kokrajhar (Assam,
India)
-Hashimara, Alipurduar, New Jalpaiguri
(W.Bengal, India)
ROAD LINKAGE TO NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES
Point in BHUTAN
Phuentsholing
Samtse
Gelephu
Samdrupjongkhar
Nganglam
Gomtu (Pugli)
Point in INDIA
Jaigaon
Chamurchi
Dadghari
Darranga
Pathsala
Birpara
INTERNATIONAL CONNECTIVITY
AH48
ƒ Thimphu-Phuentsholing in Bhutan
AH48 &AH2 (for connectivity with India,Nepal &
Bangladesh)
ƒ Phuentsholing-Jaigoan-Hashimara-PhulbariPanitanki-Kakarvita for Bhutan, India & Nepal
ƒ Phuentsholing-Jaigoan-HashimaraChangrabandha-Burimari-Banglabandha for
Bhutan, India & Bangladesh
CORRIDORS IDENTIFIED UNDER SASEC ROAD
CONNECTIVITY PROJECT
„
„
„
„
„
Nganglam-Dewathang H/way (75km)
Pasakha Access Road (2km)
Northern bypass in Phuentsholing (2.7km)
Mini Dry Port at Phuentsholing
Study for links for regional connectivity from
Gomtu/Pugli to Dalmore/Birpara and
Motanga(Bhutan)/Bokajuli(India)
CORRIDORS IDENTIFIED UNDER SAARC REGIONAL
MULTIMODAL TRANSPORT STUDY (SRMTS)
Road corridors:
1. Thimphu-Phuentsholing-Jaigaon-HashimaraKolkata/Haldia
2. Thimphu-Phuentsholing-JaigaonBurimari(Bangladesh)-Mongla/Chittagong
3. Samdrup Jongkhar-Guwahati-ShillongShilhet(Bangladesh)-Dhaka-Kolkata
4. Thimphu/Paro-Phuentsholing-HashimaraSiliguri-Kakarvita (Nepal)
CORRIDORS IDENTIFIED UNDER SAARC REGIONAL
MULTIMODAL TRANSPORT STUDY (SRMTS)
Rail corridor:
Pasakha-Toribari-Hashimara (India)
TRADE FACILITATION INITIATIVES
„
„
Accession to the Revised Kyoto Convention
(RKC)
-ADB assistance being sought under ADB
funded SASEC Trade Facilitation Program to
assess and update Bhutan’s legal and
regulatory regime for accession to RKC;
Automated customs management
-Automated Customs Systems (BAC) being
replaced by Revenue Administration
Management Information System (RAMIS)
being developed under ADB funded TA;
TRADE FACILITATION INITIATIVES
„
„
Department of Revenue & Customs (DRC),
RGoB seeks to include a customs management
system in RAMIS
Electronic national single window (NSW)
-DRC plans to include NSW as a component in
RAMIS
KEY CHALLENGES
FOR ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT
„
„
„
„
„
„
Fragile mountainous terrain
High construction and maintenance cost
Shortage of fund
Fledgling construction industry
Lack of appropriate construction technology
Shortage of trained manpower
THANK YOU