Connectivity: Following continuous rain, two huge boulders have blocked the road above the Punatsangchhu Project-I dam site at Bjimthangkha on the Wangdue-Tsirang highway since yesterday.

This is the second major roadblock on the Wangdue-Tsirang highway this week. The highway was earlier blocked by a landslide at Dogarthang, 2km away from Kamichhu on October 12 leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded.

Department of Roads (DoR) chief engineer in Lobesa, GM Rai said the block at Dogarthang was cleared at around 2pm, yesterday. “We managed to clear the block at Dogarthang with the help of excavators but it is difficult to clear the block at the dam site as the rocks are huge,” he said.

Stranded vehicles were able to head towards Tsirang after the block was cleared, but vehicles headed towards Thimphu were once again stranded following the roadblock above the PHPA-I dam site.

With no hotels or restaurants in the Kamichhu area, travellers stranded at the Dorgarthang block on October 12 spent the night in their vehicles.

Road Safety and Transport Authority (RSTA), DoR officials, and Punatsangchhu staff have been attempting to clear the block since yesterday. Officials said they are attempting to blast the rocks.

Official sources said it may take overnight to clear the block.

Minor landslides on various locations on the Wangdue-Trongsa  and Wangdue-Thimphu highways have also occurred.

The Wangdue-Samtengang road has been blocked since yesterday morning.

Continuous rain has also blocked the road between Khuruthang and Bajo. A retaining wall below the Thedtsho gewog office also collapsed.

The Punakha-Gasa highway that was blocked at Sirigang in the morning was cleared yesterday.

Dawa Gyelmo | Wangdue