Hurdles galore for passengers at Mugling bridge

Himalayan News Service

MUGLING:Hours-long traffic jam has become a part of everyday life for Mugling residents and passengers for these days. At the root of this problem is the dilapidated Mugling bridge that lies on the Prithvi highway. With only one-way traffic allowed through the bridge for the past 10 days, hundreds of passengers have to bear the brunt every day. Local people say vehicles get caught in traffic jam for around three hours daily.

During rush hours (from 10 am to 4 pm), the line of vehicles awaiting passage extends up to three kilometres, according to Modraj Silwal, a local.

“Vehicles on either side can cross the bridge after waiting for an hour,” he says, referring to the one-way traffic movement regime that local youths and Road Division staffers have enforced to prevent the bridge’s collapse.”

Traffic movement comes to a halt when 20 vehicles cross the bridge.” The restricted movement has caused traffic snarls on the Mugling-Narayangadh section also.

Shaligram Regmi, the Road Division Office (Tanahun) chief, says the problem has arisen mainly because the bridge’s support plate has snapped. Apart from that, some knots and bolts have loosened, while others have dislodged.

According to Regmi, two-way vehicular movement will resume in four days after minor maintenance, but full-fledged maintenance will begin after Dashain.