The Lalbakaiya bridge in Rautahat district is finally approaching the finish line after more than a decade of delays, with all six spans now complete and only the approach road and river training works remaining. The update, shared by the infrastructure minister on October 9, brings fresh hope for a project that has come to symbolize Nepal’s long struggle with stalled public works.
A Decade of Delays: Blacklisting and a Fresh Tender
Work on the crossing was originally contracted in 2071 BS (roughly 2014 to 2015 AD) with a target of completion within three years. But despite repeated deadline extensions, construction never reached completion. The contractor was eventually blacklisted, and in 2079 BS (roughly 2022 to 2023 AD) the government called a new tender for the remaining work.
Even under the new contract, the first year brought little progress. According to the minister, the main problems were unclear responsibility for the substructure built under the old contract and low budget allocation for the project.
How the Lalbakaiya bridge Got Moving Again
The ministry says it moved to fix both problems. Through the Division Office, it clarified who would take responsibility for the earlier construction work and arranged full management of the required budget. With those issues settled, the pace of work picked up, and the long dormant site began to move again.
Current Status of the Lalbakaiya bridge
Today, the structure stands complete: all six spans are in place, and the footpath, railing, and expansion joint works are finished. The approach road and river training works are currently underway. In the minister’s words, the long-stalled crossing is now in its final stage toward operation.
Nepal’s Sick Contracts and Why Revival Matters
Rautahat lies in Madhesh Province, in Nepal’s southern Terai plains, a densely populated region where road and bridge connectivity shapes trade, access to services, and everyday travel. Nepal has faced a recurring problem of sick contracts, known in Nepali as rungna thekka, in which road and bridge projects stall for years despite repeated extensions.
When a contract goes sick, communities wait through years of promises while half-built structures sit unused and public money stays sunk in incomplete works. The Lalbakaiya bridge shows the other side of the story: clarifying responsibility, securing the budget, and pushing execution can bring even a long-stalled project back to life. Reviving such projects matters because unfinished bridges and roads serve no one; only completed crossings carry people, goods, and opportunity.
What Comes Next
The remaining tasks are the approach road and the river training works, both of which are underway. Once they are done, the bridge can open for traffic, giving Rautahat residents a finished crossing instead of another half-built reminder of delay.
Related reading: Maldhunga Bridge Reconstruction: Baglung-Parbat Link to Reopen in a Week and Kanchanpur Kamala Highway Upgrade Gains Pace: 49 of 54 Bridges Now Carrying Traffic.
Source: Minister Sunil Lamsal’s Facebook post, October 9, 2026.