The Department of Roads’ (DOR) regional office in Trongsa would terminate the contract works of Druk Lhayul Construction in Trongsa tomorrow.

The construction company was executing a package of the Northern East-West Highway widening works from Viewpoint to Bjeezam in Trongsa.

It was learnt that a ministerial-level committee decided to terminate the contract since works were not only lagging behind but there was no progress at the site.

DoR’s chief engineer in Trongsa, Ugyen Dorji, said the blacktopping works of Nabji-Korphu gewog centre (GC) road, which is also executed by the same contractor, would be terminated on March 7.

He said that the works for Nabji-Korphu GC road had to be terminated, as the liquidity damage period was completed while there was no progress.

DoR officials say works would be re-tendered.

Meanwhile, of the 14 packages of the Northern East-West highway widening works from Chuserbu to Nangar in Bumthang, works are ongoing in four packages and which are all incomplete.

Ugyen Dorji said that of the 97kms road widening stretch in Trongsa region, 90 percent of the works are completed.   

“Because of the cold weather, widening work from Yotongla to Bongzam has been deferred at the moment,” he said.

He also said that two packages of the work from Yotongla to Bongzam will complete by April and two packages are expected to complete by June.

It was also learnt that the ministerial level committee had decided to terminate contract work of Raven Construction, which is executing the widening works from Bjeezam to Trongsa town if it does not complete by June.

The widening works missed several deadlines despite the companies providing several undertaking and commitment letters to DoR and the works and human settlement ministry.

Contractors gave written undertaking letters to DoR last June assuring that all the works would be completed by the end of December 2018. However, it is likely that some would not even complete by June this year.

Officials say that the construction companies are working under the liquidity damage period, where the contractors pay a penalty 0.075 percent of the quoted amount a day.

Sources in Trongsa said the companies that did not complete the works do not have the required machinery and manpower at the site. In some areas, the formation cutting has not been completed.

Nim Dorji | Trongsa