CURRENT STATUS OF ROAD TRANSPORT POLICIES, SYSTEMS AND PROJECTS IN BHUTAN

CURRENT STATUS OF ROAD TRANSPORT
POLICIES, SYSTEMS AND PROJECTS IN BHUTAN
Jangchuk Yeshi
Chief Engineer (Design Division)
Department of Roads
Ministry of Works & Human Settlement
Royal Government of Bhutan
Brief background of road transport in Bhutan
 
 
 
Being a landlocked mountainous country, road is the
primary mode of transport in Bhutan and therefore
the life line of country’s economy.
Royal Government has accorded top priority to the
development of the road network in the country since
the start of the 1st Five Year Plan in 1961.
The country’s first mororable road , Thimphu –
Phuentsholing Highway, was completed in 1961.
Expansion of road network over the years
10578 km today
~2300 km in late
1980s
~1500 km in mid 1970s
Classifications of roads
 
National Highways;
 
 
 
International/Asian Highways
Primary National Highways (PNH)
Secondary National Highways (SNH)
 
Dzongkhag Roads;
 
Thromde (Urban) Roads –
 
Farm Roads –
 
Access Roads –
DoR’s jurisdiction
Respective Municipalities
MoA and Dzongkhags
Beneficiaries/DoR
Motorization level and trend
Motorization trend in the past decade
•  The motorization level in the
80000
country has been increasing
rapidly
Vehicle Ownership
70000
60000
50000
•  In the past decade, the vehicle
40000
ownership has increased by
137% - from 29,941 in 2005 to
70,805 as of Feb. 2015.
30000
20000
10000
0
2004
2006
2008
2010
Year
Source: RSTA)
2012
2014
•  The vehicle per 1000 population
in the country has increased from
about 45 in 2005 to about 100 in
2014
Motorization level – comparison with other countries in the region
Source: Word bank development indicators (Internet)
• 
• 
Bhutan has the highest vehicle ownership per 1000 population among the SARRC countries
The vehicle ownership in Asia is typically in the range of 10 to 30 per 1000 population and
between 600 and 800 in advanced countries
Projected motorization trend
Source: Bhutan Transport 2040, ADB
•  As per “Bhutan Transport 2040”
document developed by ADB, the
motorization per 1000 population
is expected touch 400 by 2040.
Current status of road network in the country
Expansion of road network over the years
12000
•  The increase has been more rapid
in the last about five to six years.
Road Length in km
10000
•  The road length has increased
8000
from 5362 km in 2008 to 10,578
km by end of 2013, which is an
average annual increase of about
19% over this period (about 870
km of new road per year).
6000
4000
2000
0
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
Year
(Source: Department of Roads)
2012
Current road network in the country
Road length by category/class
Road Category
Expressway
Road Length
(km)
6.2
National Highway
2438.38
Dzongkhag Road
1178.29
Thromde Road
349.67
Farm Road
5375.29
Access Road
1230.43
Total:
10578.26
C u r re n t S t a t u s o f t h e Vi s i o n
Statements, Policy Instruments and
Strategies for development of Road
Transport in the Country.
Road Transport Policies - Background
 
 
 
Vital for providing overall guidance in planning and
implementation of the programs and projects for sustainable
and integrated development of road transport in the country.
Have to be aligned with the overall development policy of the
country and the wishes and aspirations of the population
Have to based on the scientific studies such as the motorization
trends, projected economic growth, environmental
considerations, regional connectivity, rural-urban migration
trends and so on.
Vision 2020 milestones
Vision statement
Construction of
Second
Transnational
highway (Southern
E-W Highway)
Milestones
To be completed
by 2017 (end of
11th plan)
Current Status
• 
• 
• 
• 
Upgrade current
To be achieved by • 
national trunk
2009 (end of 9th
roads to carry 30- plan)
ton capacity trucks.
The proposed Highway will connect Sipsoo
in the west with Jomotsangkha in the east of
the country.
Total Length: 642 km (approx)
Completed: 361 km (56%)
Remaining: 281 km (Lhamoizingkha–
Sarpang, Gelephu–Panbang, Nganglam–
Deothang, Samrang-Jomotsangkha)
All the PNHs newly constructed/upgraded or
being constructed/upgraded are designed
for at least 30-ton loading.
Road Sector Master Plan (2007-2027)
Activity
Milestones
Shingkhar (Zhemgang) –
Thidangbi (Mongar): 162 km
•  Shingkhar (Bumthang) –
Gorgan (Lhuntse): 76 km
1. Construction of •  Shingkhar (Zhemgang) - Ura
(Bumthang): 49 km
Highways for
Inter-Dzongkhag •  Daga Dzong – Genekha: 123
km
connectivity
•  Minjay (Lhuntse) – Dongde
Dzong (Trashiyangtse): 127
km
• 
Current Status
• 
Shingkhar (Bumthang)
- Gorgan (Lhuntse): 12
km out of total
approximate 76 km
completed and the
works on rest are yet
to start. Road Sector Master Plan (2007-2027) contd.
Activity
2. Major road
realignments
3. Construction of
road tunnels
Milestones
Current Status
Serpang – Sengor: Not
started
• 
•  Reffe - Khosala: 13 km
• 
completed
•  Damchu – Chhukha: 15 km
• 
completed.
•  Wangdigang – Tingtibi: 16 km
completed
Total Length of road realignment = 62 km Total Length completed = 44 km
(71% complete) •  Possibility for construction of tunnels •  Feasibility studies are being
carried out by Department of
identified at ten road stretches in the
Geology and Mines (DGM) for
entire road network of the country.
a road tunnel between
Thimphu and Wangdue with
the help of a Norwegian
Government agency. • 
Serpang – Sengor: 6 km (road length
reduction (rdl) = 12 km)
Reffe-Khosala: 16 km (rdl = 12 km)
Damchu – Chhukha: 24 km (rdl = 19
km)
Wangdigang – Tingtibi: 16 km (rdl =
39 km)
• 
Bhutan Transport 2040 – Integrated Strategic Vision (ADB)
Activity
1. Widening of the existing East–
West Highway (and other key
routes) to two lanes, with
alignment improvements to
reduce travel times and enhance
safety Current Status
• Double laning of Northern East-West
Highway ongoing – 60 km out of total
385 km complete (16% complete).
Work planned to be completed by 2017
end)
•
Thimphu – Phuntsholing Highway:
100% complete
•
Samdrup-Jongkhar – Trashigang
Highway: 108 km out of total 180 km
complete (60% complete)
Bhutan Transport 2040 contd….
Activity
2. Introduction of improved
engineering and construction
technology to reduce overall life
cycle costs and provide better
pavement quality
Current Status
•  Thicker road pavement being used to
enhance durability and riding comfort
and reduce life cycle cost
•  Manual road construction methods
being replaced by semi or fully
mechanized methods
•  Traditional road construction method
replaced by more sustainable EFRC
method
Bhutan Transport 2040 contd….
Activity
Current Status
•  Performance Based Maintenance
Management System (PBMMS) being
implemented for routine maintenance works
for roads.
3. Establishment of a maintenance
•  Hybrid Maintenance being piloted in three
regimen for all national highways and
Regional Offices under DoR covering about
district roads to include pavement
300 km.
management systems and performance
•  Road Asset Management – Yet to develop a
contracts
proper scientific system. Technical and
financial assistance being sought from World
Bank for development of the system. Bhutan Transport 2040 contd….
Activity
Current Status
•  The black topping of the feeder roads
connecting to Geog centers, called the
GC roads is ongoing.
•  Total length of GC road: 1900 km
4. Progressive upgrading of all
(approx.)
Dzongkhag roads to all-weather
•  Total length of GC roads for which the
(sealed) standards to be prioritized
black topping works are either ongoing
based on traffic demand
or are at various stages of tendering:
1200 km (planned to be completed by
fall of 2017) Conclusion
 
 
 
 
Road sector continues to be one of the most important thrust areas of
government’s development efforts and therefore enjoys maximum
share of the country’s development spending.
For activities such as the bitumen sealing of the Dzongkhag roads and
major highway realignment works, the objectives are expected to be
achieved ahead of the planned schedule.
However, priorities have changed for some activities such as the
construction of road tunnels, viaducts and construction of certain road
stretches on the southern- East-West Highway due to changing
priorities of the country with time.
But overall, most of the major activities in the road transport sector are
on track as envisioned in the relevant policy documents.
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