Infrastructure Development Minister Sunil Lamsal has shared a new update on the Maldhunga bridge approach road, reporting that geobag placement for the approach road has started with crane support. The update, posted on October 8, 2026, marks a distinct new stage in the reconstruction effort at Maldhunga, shifting the focus from the bridge foundations to building up the road that connects with the bridge deck.
Maldhunga Bridge Approach Road Work Enters New Stage
According to the minister, gabion mesh filling has reached about the halfway mark up to the bridge height. Gabion walls, which are wire mesh baskets packed with stone, are commonly used to form stable retaining structures behind bridge abutments, and reaching half of the target height shows the retaining core is taking shape. With the mesh filling substantially advanced, soil filling is now being increased to complete the approach road construction, layering and compacting earth to form the embankment that will carry traffic onto the bridge.
Crane Support Speeds Up Geobag Placement
The geobag placement is being carried out with crane support, allowing the heavy filled bags to be positioned precisely along the approach alignment. Geobags, which are large bags filled with sand or aggregate, are widely used in riverbank protection and embankment work because they conform to the ground, resist erosion, and can be placed quickly in difficult terrain. Using a crane indicates the bags are being set in an organized pattern at scale rather than by manual handling alone, which generally improves both placement speed and quality.
Building on Earlier Maldhunga Milestones
This update represents a new phase, distinct from the two earlier stages already reported at Maldhunga. Coverage on October 4 focused on the reconstruction of the Maldhunga bridge itself, while the October 6 update centered on geobag work for the bridge foundation. The current stage moves attention to the approach road, the engineered ramp of compacted fill that transitions vehicles from the existing road level up to the bridge deck. Approach roads are critical because a bridge is only as useful as the connections on either side, and poorly built approaches are a frequent source of settlement and riding discomfort.
Why the Approach Road Matters
A well constructed approach road distributes traffic loads evenly, prevents differential settlement near the abutment, and protects the embankment from monsoon runoff. In Nepal’s river corridors, where water levels can rise rapidly, the combination of gabion retaining walls, geobag protection, and properly compacted soil fill provides layered defense against erosion. Completing the Maldhunga bridge approach road therefore restores more than a crossing. It restores a reliable link for the communities and freight that depend on the route.
What Happens Next
With gabion mesh filling about half complete and soil filling being increased, the remaining tasks include finishing the mesh filling to full bridge height, completing the soil embankment, and finalizing the road surface and drainage on the approach. Once the approach road is complete and connected to the bridge deck, the crossing can reopen to traffic and restore a key link in the local road network.
The progress at Maldhunga reflects the wider push to restore damaged crossings following the recent floods and landslides. Bridge and road works are advancing in parallel at several sites across the country, and Eve Construction Nepal is tracking these developments closely. Readers can find more infrastructure coverage on the Eve Construction Nepal homepage.
Source: Minister Sunil Lamsal’s Facebook post, Oct 8, 2026.