Status of the Development of the Asian Highway Route in

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) - 38,394

- Dzongkhags /Districts - 20

- Geogs (blocks) - 205

- Capital -

- Population (2012) - 7,20,679

- Currency - Ngultrum

- National Language - 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, , 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 : 506 km Upgradation : 288 km

„ Secondary National H/way : 537 km (inter Dzongkhag connectivity)

„ Dzongkhag Roads : 2654 km HIGHWAY NETWORK ROAD NETWORK IN KM (June 2013)

„ Expressway - 6 „ Primary National Highway - 1860 Secondary National Highway - 578 „ Dzongkhag Road - 1178 „ (Urban) Road - 350 „ Farm Road - 5376 „ Access road - 1230 ------Total: 10578 ------11th PLAN PROGRAMMES (July 2013 to June 2018)

„ Construction of Primary National H/way - 305 km „ Upgradation of National Highways - 562 km

„ Construction of Dzongkhag Road - 122 km PHUENTSHOLING – THIMPHU HIGHWAY (AH48)

Year of construction - 1968 Length (km) - 179

Section Length No. of lanes Class

Phuentsholing-Chukha 82.5 km 2 II Chukha-Damchu 43.5 km 1 III Damchu-Thimphu 53.0 km 2 II ASIAN HIGHWAY (AH48) FROM PHUENTSHOLING TO THIMPHU

STATUS:

Phuentsholing to Chukha (82.5km) - completed

Chukha to Damchu Bypass (24 km):

Formation cutting - 98% complete Blacktopping - 44% complete Completion date - 2015

Damchu toThimphu (53km) - completed CONSTRUCTION OF SOUTHERN EAST-WEST HIGHWAY (SEWH) - 723 km

„ Existing - 338 km „ Missing links - 385 km

„ Connect economic hubs in southern part of the country and onward connection to

„ Link to the Asian Highway Network in the sub- region 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 (W.Bengal, India) ROAD LINKAGE TO NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES

Point in BHUTAN Point in INDIA Phuentsholing Samtse Chamurchi Gelephu Dadghari Samdrupjongkhar Darranga Nganglam Pathsala Gomtu (Pugli) Birpara INTERNATIONAL CONNECTIVITY

AH48

ƒ Thimphu-Phuentsholing in Bhutan

AH48 &AH2 (for connectivity with India,Nepal & Bangladesh)

ƒ Phuentsholing-Jaigoan-Hashimara-Phulbari- Panitanki-Kakarvita for Bhutan, India & Nepal

ƒ Phuentsholing-Jaigoan-Hashimara- Changrabandha-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-Hashimara- Kolkata/Haldia

2. Thimphu-Phuentsholing-Jaigaon- Burimari(Bangladesh)-Mongla/Chittagong

3. Samdrup Jongkhar-Guwahati-Shillong- Shilhet(Bangladesh)-Dhaka-Kolkata

4. Thimphu/Paro-Phuentsholing-Hashimara- -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