Expressway Project

From Bhutannica

Thimphu's Expressway Project

The Expressway with the new flyover in the background

The idea of Thimphu's expressway was conceived with the intent to cut down travel time. In this regard it has succeeded and for residents in Babesa and further south, it has dramatically reduced the travel time to Thimphu's centre. It has however been drawing criticism since the very beginning of the construction period. As it draws closer to completion after 7 odd years, there is more to see, and more to criticize. It has been likened to Bhutan's first Formula 1 circuit albeit a dangerous one featuring reckless drivers, dogs and cows, parked vehicles and even pedestrians. The number of accidents on the expressway continue to rise according to the police and the RSTA. Poor design has led to safety issues and is being resolved by posting police officers at several points along the expressway. The Expressway project has taken so long it has spanned the tenures of two Ministers Leki Dorji and Kinzang Dorji and three Directors in the Department of Roads, Rinchen Dorji, Phuntsho Wangdi and the current Director Sangay Tenzin.

1 Problems
2 Flyover addition
3 Photographs
4 References

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Problems

The entire expressway project has been beset by problems. There were obvious problems with the design itself and the details. The design was prepared by RITES, a Government of India consultancy enterprise.

According to the Department of Roads, the organization responsible for implementing the project, two flaws in the design contributed to the sinking and pothole problems. The divider between the lanes was kept open which allowed rainwater to seep into the road substructure. And because no outlet for that water was provided it led to a failure below the bitumen level.

The implementation led to further problems as inexperienced local engineers had to fill in deficiencies in the original design. Finding the proper level on the ground which did not match with the levels indicated in drawings led to delays and high excavation costs. Poor detailing led to potholes and sinking patches soon after the bitumen was laid. One of the three bridges, the Ngabi Rongchhu bridge, has developed a crack and could not be opened for traffic. It led to a stand-off between the contractor and the implementing authority in terms of who was at fault. Presumably the matter was resolved, hopefully safely, between the two parties as the matter did not become a big issue in the media.

The connections to the expressway for the residents between the start and end points of the expressway are inadequate. The connections that were included in the design have not been fully implemented. The retaining wall supporting the connection road below the Changjiji bridge has since collapsed. In the connections that have been provided, dangerous blind corners have been created at the points where the service roads meet the expressway. This was in part due to a lack of coordination with the Thimphu Municipal Corporation which provided much of the works for connecting the expressway to the city.

Culverts that pass below the expressway protrude dangerously for cars traveling faster than 40kmph.

The street lights that have been installed have never been switched on although the expressway itself has been in use for many years. This has made driving at night a hazardous and uncomfortable experience because the headlights must be used at high beam to be able to see far enough down the road while at the same time being blinded by the high beams of the on-coming traffic.

Pedestrians seem to be completely overlooked by the designers as there are no pedestrian footpaths on either side of the road. The need for pedestrians to cross the road to the other side also seems to be overlooked with no footbridges included in the plans. Pedestrians therefore are forced to walk on the concrete foundation of the crash barriers on the sides of the expressway and to dash across it to get to the other side.

It is not known whether there are any plans to correct these shortcomings.

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