Miteri Bridge linking Nepal, China to be completed within a month
RASUWA: The Miteri Bridge (Friendship Bridge) linking Nepal and China at the Rasewagadhi transit point is set to be completed within a month.
According to Chinese officials, construction of the under‑construction Friendship Bridge will be completed within a month. Since floods in July washed away the bridge over the Lhende River, cross‑border movement between the two countries was suspended, and the Chinese side is rebuilding the bridge.
Rasuwa’s Chief District Officer (CDO), Rajesh Panthi, said, following discussions with Chinese officials, that the bridge will be completed within a month and a date for resuming operations will be set at a subsequent meeting. Panthi clarified that the Chinese side has prioritised construction of the bridge despite adverse weather and that, barring circumstances beyond control, traffic is expected to resume within a month.
Chief of the Customs Office Tulasi Prasad Bhattarai said that with the Friendship Bridge washed away, imports and exports through that border were halted, causing an estimated revenue loss of around Rs 15 billion. In the same period of last fiscal year 2024/25, customs duties of Rs 14 billion were collected.
According to technicians working in the field, although repair and reconstruction of Syaphrubesi–Rasewagadhi road section’s 16‑km stretch of highway are underway, work has not progressed as expected due to landslides and riverbank erosion. The Department of Roads (DoR) said frequent landslides on the slope between Timure and Tatopani, cliffs near Lingling and Kagatibari, and river erosion in the southern part of Ghattekhola and other locations have delayed timely repair and maintenance.
Rasuwa District Administration Office said the Risk Management Committee has directed that the road section be completed as soon as possible and to quality standards.
