Prime Minister Sushil Koirala on Monday inaugurated the newly completed truss bridge spanning 261.3 metres with a width of 7.5 metres. The new bridge will serve as an alternative to Koshi Barrage and will ensure round the year operation of the East-West Highway. With the completion of the bridge, the road project to connect Hetauda from Chatara-Rampur-Gaighat-Sindhuli has also been completed.  

Addressing the inauguration function, Prime Minister Koirala said the development works would proceed at a faster pace after the promulgation of the new constitution.

 Urban Development Minister Narayan Khadka said the bridge would help increase the development activities in adjoining areas of Chatara, Gaighat, Sindhuli, Bhiman and Hetauda.

The bridge was constructed for $11million with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) paying 60 percent of the sum.

“The Koshi Bridge serves as an important strategic link in expanding transport connectivity within the country and beyond, including with India and Bangladesh,” said ADB Country Director for Nepal Kenichi Yokoyama.

Tulasi Sitaula, secretary at the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, said, “The bridge will spur economic growth and create opportunities by connecting the two important business hubs, Dharan in the east and Hetauda in the central region.”  The government had decided to build the bridge over Koshi River after the devastating flood of 2008 when the river breached its embankment, damaging around 5,000 hectares of farmland and 14km road at several places on the Sunsari side along the East-West highway.