The Bailey bridge being built by China at Lende Khola along the Nepal–China border in Rasuwagadhi has reached its final stage, raising hopes that the key Rasuwagadhi–Kerung trade point will reopen within two weeks. According to officials, all construction works are being carried out by the Chinese side.
On Sunday, Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song shared a video on X showing the under-construction bridge with the caption “Pushing Ahead”, indicating that China was making maximum efforts to bring the vital trade route in operation at the earliest.
The bridge will span 90 meters and have a load-bearing capacity of 55 tons. The approach road on the Chinese side has already been completed, while around 20 meters of approach road on the Nepali side needs to be built. Officials say the construction of the approach road will begin once the bridge installation work is complete.
The Bailey bridge is being constructed as the 100-meter-long Miteri (Friendship) Bridge was swept away by floods on July 8. The floods cut off the major trade link with China, bringing bilateral trade to a halt ahead of the major festive season.
Nepal imported goods worth nearly Rs 80bn through the Rasuwagadhi Customs Office during the first 11 months of 2024/25. The imports generated Rs 28.71bn in revenue for the government. With containers stranded on both sides of the border, much of Nepal–China trade shifted to the Tatopani border in Sindhupalchowk. However, that crossing was also closed soon after, following landslides that blocked the Araniko Highway. As a result, traders were forced to import goods from China via Mustang’s Korala border—a detour that added both time and cost.
The closure of the two northern border points hit automobile distributors particularly hard. Many had received significant bookings for China-made vehicles during the NAIMA Nepal Mobility Expo and NADA Auto Show for delivery before the Dashain festival. The shutdown forced distributors to bring electric vehicles (EVs) through the Korala border, even though it incurred additional costs and delays.
China began constructing the Bailey bridge soon after the July floods. Nepali customs officials expect the bridge and the trade route to be ready for operation around the Tihar festival, which begins next week.
Meanwhile, officials say multiple sections of the Pasang Lhamu Highway—the only road link to the Rasuwagadhi border point—that were disrupted by floods and landslides will be operational by the time the bridge construction is completed. Although smaller vehicles are now plying the route, the Syafrubesi–Rasuwagadhi section remains closed to larger trucks.
