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Kathmandu, July 27: Trade between Nepal and China has ground to a halt after a flash flood on July 9 destroyed the Miteri (Friendship) Bridge at Rasuwagadhi. In response to Nepal’s request, China has begun preparations to build a temporary bridge within two months to restore the vital cross-border link ahead of Dashain in October.

Keshav Kumar Sharma, Secretary at the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, said the new bridge will be constructed slightly upstream from the original site, which was washed away by the swollen Lhende River. “Site clearance is underway, and China has confirmed the plan. The bridge will be completed before Dashain,” he said.

While the temporary Bailey bridge will serve immediate needs, a permanent structure is also in the pipeline.

The flood also devastated the customs yard at Timure, sweeping away 68 cargo trucks and bringing operations to a standstill. Before the disaster, the Rasuwagadhi checkpoint handled around 100 trucks daily, according to the Rasuwa Customs Office.

Sharma noted that the Syaphrubesi–Rasuwagadhi road, damaged in the flood and currently open to one-way traffic, will be widened to two lanes before the festival season. “We’re working to ensure smooth cargo movement during Dashain,” he said.

Although China was contracted in 2019 to upgrade the 16-kilometre stretch, the project stalled due to the pandemic. Now, both countries are reassessing restoration plans and costs.

The Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies is also coordinating efforts to fast-track infrastructure repairs. Spokesperson Jitendra Basnet said, “China is fully engaged, and our ministries are working to ensure uninterrupted trade flows before the festivals.”

The Intermodal Transport Development Committee has begun damage assessment and cleanup at the customs yard, while the Department of Roads confirmed that road-widening and retaining wall construction will start soon. Director General Bijay Jaisi added that the road will be upgraded to a two-lane highway under a Chinese grant, with a joint meeting scheduled to finalise details.

Although one-way traffic resumed 13 days after the flood, stranded trucks remain stuck at Timure.

China has reaffirmed its commitment to support Nepal in rebuilding key infrastructure. During a recent meeting between Deputy Prime Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel and CIDCA head Chen Xiaodong, China pledged both technical and financial assistance for roads, bridges, and customs facilities.

People’s News Monitoring Service