However, completion has been delayed by four years

Infrastructure: A parking lot for heavy vehicles in Trongsa, which was supposed to be completed in 2013, remains incomplete. The planned parking lot is located below the Trongsa-Zhemgang highway near a fuel depot.

While an access road and retention walls have been constructed, vehicles cannot access the area given damage caused by past monsoons.

Currently, heavy vehicles like trucks are usually parked along the road between the fuel depot and the town, while some are parked in a parking lot below Thruepang palace.

Trongsa’s deputy executive engineer, Tobgay, said the approach road, levelling of the area, and retention walls were constructed in 2011-2012 with a fund of Nu 5.7 million (M). The Mangdechhu Hydroelectric Project Authority had also provided a fund of Nu 17M in 2013-2014.

Tobgay said Nu 10.5M was used to level the area, construct gabion or retention walls, and other works. However, blacktopping was not done.

“We could not blacktop the parking that year since it was already monsoon by then,” he said.

In 2015-2016, an additional Nu 0.2M was spent to clear debris from a flood. Remaining budget was saved for blacktopping.

A tender to construct drains and discussions on blacktopping is currently ongoing, said Tobgay. The plan is to complete the parking by January or February next year, and to hand it over to the Road Safety and Transport Authority.

The gabion wall constructed below the parking had given way in 2015.

Tobgay said the plan was not to complete the parking in the financial year 2015-2016 as the stability of the area was in question and observation was required. “We levelled the sunken areas and waited for a year,” he said.

A Trongsa town resident  said parking of heavy vehicles in the Thruepang parking poses risks for smaller cars. Heavy vehicles parked along the roads are also contributing to traffic congestion.

The new parking space will accommodate about 18 heavy vehicles and is expected to ease congestion in the present parking area near Thruepang. The Thruepang parking is large enough for only 12 vehicles.

Parking of heavy vehicles along the road and at the space below Thruepang will be disallowed once the new parking is ready.

Nima Wangdi | Trongsa