Economy & Business16 Oct 2026 · about 6 min

Contractor builds 268-metre suspension bridge in a month after floods cut off communities

The brief

A suspension bridge supports its deck from cables that run between anchor points on opposite sides of a gap. The cables carry much of the bridge’s weight and transfer forces into the banks. This lets the bridge cross a wide river without placing frequent supports in fast-moving water. The Dhunge bridge spans 268 metres across the Trishuli river. Its main cables and supporting parts create the long crossing, while the deck provides the surface for people to walk across. The government supplies the cables and bulldog grips used for suspension bridges because contractors cannot independently buy and use them. The bridge is already usable by pedestrians. Sections for motorcycles, parts of the deck and wind-guide cables remain after Dashain. Those wind-guide cables are intended to limit swaying, helping make the crossing more stable as its use expands.

What is a suspension bridge, and how can it span a wide river like the Trishuli?

The Dhunge bridge spans 268 metres across the Trishuli river. Its main cables and supporting parts create the long crossing, while the deck provides the surface for people to walk across. The government supplies the cables and bulldog grips used for suspension bridges because contractors cannot independently buy and use them.

The bridge is already usable by pedestrians. Sections for motorcycles, parts of the deck and wind-guide cables remain after Dashain. Those wind-guide cables are intended to limit swaying, helping make the crossing more stable as its use expands.

How large, how fast, and how cheaply was this bridge built compared with the government estimate?

The bridge is large enough to span 268 metres of the Trishuli river. Its size mattered because the floods had removed a crucial crossing between Dhunge and Intake. The project also moved unusually fast: construction began on September 17, and the bridge was ready for pedestrians within a month.

The cost was expected to reach Rs17.5 million. That was far below the Suspension Bridge Division’s estimate of more than Rs31.8 million. Pyakurel used workers from his own company, paid their daily wages and personally supervised the site from 7am. He also bought Rs6.5 million worth of steel.

The federation plans to open the bridge publicly on October 16. Some work remains, including motorcycle structures, deck sections and wind-guide cables. Pyakurel claims it is Nepal’s first 268-metre suspension bridge completed and made ready in one month.

Why was restoring this crossing so urgent for people living near Dhunge and Intake?

Restoring the crossing was urgent because the August 26 flood severed a vital route across the Trishuli river. Communities near Dhunge and Intake could no longer easily reach the district headquarters or Trishuli Hospital. The disruption affected people with emergencies and those needing routine medical care.

Some residents needed a helicopter to reach the hospital. Others faced a hard choice: travel to Kathmandu for treatment or remain at home with their illness. The flood also isolated areas including Meghang, Kispang, Tupté, Angutar and Bhairamkot, along with communities in Rasuwa, Dhading and Nuwakot.

The bridge is intended to restore a practical connection for a large population. Once open, it should reduce dangerous river crossings and make hospital access more direct. Its rapid construction responded to immediate disaster needs while longer-term recovery continued.

What will change for local residents once the bridge opens, especially for patients, traders, and people transporting goods?

The crossing will change daily life by restoring movement between Dhunge, Intake and nearby communities. Residents will have a safer way to travel than using a tuiin, which the bridge is meant to make unnecessary. This matters most when people need urgent medical care or regular treatment.

Patients should reach Trishuli Hospital more easily instead of making dangerous journeys, travelling to Kathmandu or remaining at home. Traders and shoppers will have better access to markets. The bridge will also ease the transport of goods, helping supplies and local products move across the river.

Pedestrians can already walk across the bridge, while motorcycle structures and some deck work remain. Once those parts are finished after Dashain, motorcycles should also be able to use it. The public opening is planned for October 16, widening the crossing’s practical benefits.

How did the contractors’ federation finance and organise the project outside the government’s usual procedures?

The contractors’ federation treated the bridge as a social undertaking rather than a commercial project. After Pyakurel proposed it, national president Nicholas Pandey called a steering committee meeting that night. The committee unanimously approved the plan and told Pyakurel to start work.

The federation financed construction through a fund supported by contractors. Contractors contribute 0.01 percent of their contract amount when receiving final payment. The federation agreed to draw on that fund, avoiding the usual wait for government procedures. Pyakurel then mobilised workers from his own company and paid their daily wages.

The government still supplied the cables and bulldog grips, which contractors are not permitted to buy and use independently. Pyakurel supervised work from 7am and purchased Rs6.5 million in steel. Construction began on September 17, and the project’s expected cost remained well below the government estimate.

What roles do the bridge’s main parts—cables, bulldog grips, deck, and wind-guide cables—play in keeping it usable and stable?

Each named part supports a different need. The cables carry the bridge’s suspended load between the riverbanks. Bulldog grips hold cable connections securely. The deck is the bridge’s crossing surface, allowing people and, once completed, motorcycles to travel between Dhunge and Intake.

The government supplies the cables and bulldog grips because contractors are not permitted to buy and use them independently. The article does not describe their detailed installation, but it identifies them as required materials for suspension bridges. Pyakurel’s team also worked on the deck and other structures.

The bridge can already carry pedestrians, but sections of the deck and motorcycle structures remain. Wind-guide cables will be added on both sides after Dashain. Their stated purpose is to limit swaying, helping the long bridge remain more usable and stable when people cross it.

Why do floods repeatedly cut off communities in Nepal, and how can measures such as embankments, stronger crossings, and relocation reduce that risk?

The article describes one flood, not every cause of flooding in Nepal. More generally, Nepal’s steep mountains, intense monsoon rain and many fast-flowing rivers can produce sudden floods. Homes, roads and services built close to river channels or low banks are then vulnerable. The Trishuli flood showed how quickly a crossing and community links can disappear.

Embankments can guide or contain water near exposed settlements. Stronger bridges and crossings can keep transport routes open when ordinary paths fail. Relocating homes and essential services away from high-risk river areas can reduce direct exposure. Warning systems, maintained drainage and protected roads can support these measures.

No single intervention removes flood danger. Projects should match local river behaviour and community needs. At Dhunge, the new bridge restores access, but remaining deck work and wind-guide cables show that a usable crossing still requires finishing and maintenance. Safer planning can reduce repeated isolation during future floods.

This brief was written by AI from the original reporting and checked by other models. Names, figures and quotes come from the source; read it for full context.