The short road intended to connect Karnali Province and Lumbini Province has been abandoned due to the absence of a bridge over the Bheri River, which links Surkhet in Karnali to Bhurigaun in Bardiya, Lumbini. Although the project to build the bridge began 12 years ago, no significant progress has been made, and the few pillars that were constructed now lie abandoned.

The bridge, which was supposed to connect Bhurigaun in Bardiya to Telpani in Surkhet, has not been completed or upgraded. As a result, local residents are forced to travel long distances for their daily commute. The total length of the planned road is 52 kilometers, which, if completed on time, would have been the shortest route connecting Surkhet to the Tarai. In the absence of the bridge, travelers must detour through Kohalpur to reach Bardiya.

Local producers are also facing difficulties transporting their goods to market due to the incomplete road. The project, which began in the fiscal year 2014/15, has stalled due to continued government neglect and lack of budget allocation. Although tracks have been opened from Bardiya to the Surkhet border and vice versa, the section in between remains incomplete.

The plan to build this 52-kilometer road was initiated in 2013. However, in recent years, the government has stopped allocating funds for the project. Notably, 12 kilometers of the proposed road falls within Bardiya National Park, posing additional regulatory challenges.

Locals believe that if the road were completed, it would significantly contribute to the industrial development of Surkhet, Lumbini, and other districts in Karnali. The route is considered the shortest link between the entire Karnali region and the Lumbini plains. Despite repeated petitions by local political parties to the government and visiting heads of state, the demand for the road’s construction has gone unheard.

Technical issues in the bridge’s design and an unresolved court case involving the contractor have further delayed the project. On 13 July 2012, a contract was signed with Pappu/Mall JV to complete the bridge within 43 months, by 13 Jan 2016. At the time, the estimated cost of the project was Rs 142.989m. Although two bridge pillars were placed in the Bheri River, construction was halted after a design flaw caused a bend in the middle pillar.

The contractor filed a legal case over the design issue, which remains unresolved. According to the Road Division Office in Surkhet, which oversees the project, the dispute has prevented further work on the bridge. Engineer Barkh Bahadur Kathayat from the office stated that the contract was terminated on 13 July 2022, after prolonged inactivity by the contractor. “The new contract process has not started because the case is still unresolved,” he said. “Only once the issue is settled can we proceed with a new contract for the bridge.”