| East-West Highway Lateral Road | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Route information | |
| Length | 713 km[1] (443 mi) |
| Major junctions | |
| Southwest end | Phuentsholing |
| East end | Trashigang |
| Location | |
| Country | Bhutan |
| Highway system | |
TheEast-West Highway, also known as theLateral Road, isBhutan's primary east–west corridor, connectingPhuentsholing in the southwest toTrashigang in the east. In between, the Lateral Road runs directly throughWangdue Phodrang,Trongsa, and other population centers. The Lateral Road also has spurs connecting to the capitalThimphu and other major population centers such asParo andPunakha.
The Lateral Road traverses are a number of high passes, includingTremo La andDochu La. The highest pass on the road is atChele La;[3] the second-highest pass is atTrumshing La in central Bhutan at an altitude of over 3,800 m (12,500 ft).[4]
The works that formed the Lateral Road, among other development projects, were fruits of mostlyIndian andNepali laborers. Their contributions were necessary to bolster Bhutanese national security and to connect populations.[5] As the Lateral Road has led to increased infrastructure development, it has added to a sense of national unity, connecting various pockets of ethnic groups.[6]
Most freight in Bhutan is moved along the highway on eight-ton 300 hp (224 kW)Tata trucks, which are often overloaded and which stress road conditions. There is a network of passenger buses, and the most common vehicle in government and private use is the four-wheel-drive pickup.[5]
Because much of the geology is unstable, there are frequent slips andlandslides, which are aggravated by both summermonsoon and winter snowstorm andfrost heave conditions.[7][8][9] Teams of Indian labourers are housed at work camps in the mountain passes to be dispatched to clear the roads in the event of road blockage. The conditions in the work camps are poor, with the workers reduced to breaking rock into gravel on a piece-rate basis when not clearing the roads. An international aid project is under way to stabilize the worst sections of the road. A majorJapanese aid project seeks to replace most of the narrow single track bridges with two-way girder spans capable of carrying heavier traffic. There are no stoplights.[5]
Mountain passes are often closed during winter due to heavy snowfall, shutting off land communication along the Lateral Road.[10] During road closures, commercial and public vehicles are prohibited from attempting passes such asThrumshing La, however private vehicles may proceed at their own risk. Blockages at high altitudes must be cleared by both heavy equipment and manual labour.[11] At times, clearing crews have considerable difficulty even reaching the pass.[12][13]
Along the Lateral Road, there are many sheer drops of thousands of feet at the roadside, notably aroundThrumshing La.[10] Because of the many hazards and frequently dangerous conditions, theGovernment of Bhutan has approved and begun constructing a bypass to the Lateral Road around Thrumshing La as part of itsTenth Five Year Plan. The bypass will cut travel time, distance, and danger by avoiding Thrumshing La. The new route is expected to shorten travel time between Shingkhar village (Ura Gewog,Bumthang) and Gorgan (Menbi Gewog,Lhuntse) by 100 km and 3 hours.[14] The new road construction was met with fierce opposition by environmentalists; but the government chose to proceed with construction nonetheless.[15]
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain. Worden, Robert L. (1991). Savada, Andrea Matles (ed.).Bhutan: A Country Study.Federal Research Division. Transportation and Communications.