Feasibility Study of Lhuntse-

Trashiyangtse Road
Presented By:
Design Division
Department of Roads, MoWHS
Outline
1. Background
2. Objectives
3. Alignment Descriptions
4. Geological Aspect
5. Length Comparisons
6. Findings
1. Background

• The proposed road alignment connects Lhuntse with Tashiyangtse as

there is no direct connection between the two districts till date.
• Proposed alignment pass through park area.
• As per the Royal Command conveyed through Dasho Zimpoen of the
Royal Secretariat the Department of Roads deputed a team to carry
out technical feasibility/reconnaissance study of Lhuntse-Tashiyangtse
road.
2. Objectives
• To understand the road geometric aspects along the alignment
• To study the geological and geotechnical aspects along the alignment.
• To validate if the alignment is feasible for conducting detail survey
(next phase).
3. Alignment Descriptions

3.1 Kudung-Dikpachhu Saddle (Ch. 0.000 - 13.000km)

• The proposed road alignment takes off from a hairpin bend at a
place called Kudung under Menji Gewog which is connected by a
farm road of 1.400 km from Shashingpokpa.
• There is a underground rural water supply system (RWSS) and
irrigation pipeline at the takeoff point.
• The existing farm road has a road gradient ranging from 2% to 13%.
• Slope angle :10o to 35o
Contd…

• At a distance of 40 meters below the takeoff point, there is a landslide which

has been caused by the disturbance at the toe by construction of school
football ground of Menji Middle Secondary School sometime in the year
2012.
• The landslide has been further deteriorated in the past due to leakage in the
irrigation pipeline.
• The leakage has been repaired and there is no sign of further deterioration
as of now.
• During construction of the proposed road, precaution must be taken not to
further deteriorate this landslide. (Surface runoff water should be diverted
away from the slide area)
3.1 Kudung-Dikpachhu Saddle (Ch. 0.000 - 13.000km)

40 m
Contd…

• From the takeoff point, the proposed road alignment continuously

ascends with three zigs before it reaches Digpachhu.
• The slope changes at a place called Goenpa Ningpa, where a
perennial stream called Goenpa chhu passes through. Also, another
perennial stream exists at Goenpa Pogba.
• A stretch of about 50m between Goenpa Ningpa and Goenpa Pogba is
marshy indicating presence of high groundwater table, thus water
management structures will be required.
• Place is ideal for dumping with slope angle ranging from 9o to 18o.
3.1 Dumping area (Proposed)

Goenpa chhu
3.2 Digpachhu Saddle-Umchen (Ch. 13.000 – 26.000km)

Legend
Proposed Road
Foot Trail
3.2 Digpachhu Saddle-Umchen (Ch. 13.000 – 26.000km)
• The road alignment after crossing Dikpachhu saddle, will reach
Pangochen the first pastureland having an elevation of 3021m above
msl.
• Slope angle: 9o to 42o
• The road alignment will traverse from below this ridge and it will
enter into the periphery of Bumdeling wildlife sanctuary protected
area.
• After crossing Pangochen the alignment will traverse through
Gonphupang and reach Phudolepchen saddle at an approximate
chainage of 16.000km.
• The vegetation in this section is of mix conifer forest.
Contd

• The alignment ascends further to Tangtsela (cowshed) which is at an

elevation of 3121m above msl and has a gentle slope angle of 9o and
confier vegetation.
3.2 Digpachhu Saddle-Umchen (Ch. 13.000 – 26.000km)
3.2 Digpachhu Saddle-Umchen (Ch. 13.000 – 26.000km)
3.3 Umchen-Shar Laptsa (Ch. 26.000 – 36.000km)

Legend
Proposed Road
Foot Trail
Rocky Stretch
3.3 Umchen-Shar Laptsa (Ch. 26.000 – 36.000km)
• The road alignment after crossing Umchen ascends through rocky terrain
and further proceeds from below Dongla at an elevation of 3700m-3800m
above msl (Highest point for the proposed road alignment )
• The feasibility team could not walk along this particular stretch due to its
thick vegetation and steep terrain.
• About 200m to 300m of the road will pass through this steep rocky terrain.
• Slope angle: 29 o to almost vertical.
• The geology here is dominated by presence of schist and gneiss in
alternative layers.
• The gneiss is completely weathered at Dongla area. Quartz intrusion can
also be found on the surface of Dongla.
3.3 Umchen-Shar Laptsa (Ch. 26.000 – 36.000km)
3.4 Shar Laptsa – Tongdalachhu Bridge point(Ch. 36.000 – 50.000km)
• The road alignment after crossing Shar Laptsa will descend further traversing
through the thick vegetation and it will pass through Lisupang (cow shed) under
Tashiyangtse dzongkhag.
• The feasibility team could not walk along the alignment due to thick vegetation
and instead walked along the existing foot trail to reach Lisupang.
• It was informed by the concerned forest official that one zig of the road
alignment will pass through the Dongde chhu Forest Management Unit (FMU).
• After crossing Lisupang the road alignment will descend further until it reaches
the first bridge site at Tongdalachhu.
• In the absence of an experienced bridge engineer the team has kept the location
of the bridge along the foot trail.
• The team could see bedrock exposed at the left bank of the river. The rock type is
biotite gneiss.
3.5 Tongdalachhu Bridge point - Road Point (Ch. 50.000 –
65.000km)
• After crossing Tongdalachhu the terrain has a southeasterly aspect and
then cross above Taupang.
• There is also a river near Taupang called the Taupang chhu at an elevation
of 2535m above msl and it will require a bridge.
• The road alignment will traverse further and reach Sazam at an
approximate chainage of 54km.
• After crossing Sazam the road alignment will reach Shakshing village at an
approximate chainage of 58km.
• The nearest motorable road is about two to three hours of walk away.
Contd…
• The road alignment will descend further entering into a gorge at chainage
60km and then bypass through right side of the ridge.
• After two zigs the road alignment will connect yet a small settlement called
Disa at an approximate chainage of 63km.
• Disa is located at an elevation of 2033m above msl and has a southeasterly
aspect of 172 o and slope angle of less than 15o.
• The road alignment will further descend till it reach second bridge point of
Jatsakangri river.
• Need information on two more bridges
4. Geological Aspects
• The proposed Lhuntse-Tashiyangyse road alignment lies within
Greater Hylamalayan Zone.
• Schist is the dominant rock types at takeoff point at Lhuntse.
• As the alignment traverse towards east before reaching Dongla
paragneiss rock type starts to dominate.
• From Gortsho at an elevation of 3271m above mean sea level about
200m of the road alignment will be passing through rocky cliff of
slope angle more than 55o.
• Except in Gortsho area there are no continuous rocky stretch were
our proposed alignment pass through.
Contd…
• The highest peak between Lhuntse and Tashiyangtse is called Dongla.
• It is 3971 m above mean sea level. The highest point from where the
alignment pass is at 3700m above msl.
• In all rock outcrops that measured along the proposed alignment are
dipping into the slope which is favorable for slope cutting from
geological structural point of view.
Contd…

Fig: 8 Highly weathered schist

4. Comparison of road length
• The people of Lhuntse has to travel through Mongar dzongkhag to
reach Trashiyangtse which is about 220km and vice versa. This would
take them about 6 hours on an average. The proposed road alignment
will reduce the time taken to travel to about 2 hours as the road
length is reduced to about 70km.
• Need some correction from your side
5. Findings
• The road alignment will takeoff at an elevation of 2110m (Menji
top) above msl from Lhuntse and will ascend towards its highest
point at an elevation of about 3600m (possibility of icing
problems ) above msl.
• The proposed road will then descend to reach at the existing
farm road under Tashiyangtse at an elevation of 1870m above
msl.
• The proposed new road alignment from Lhuntse to Tashiyangtse
is approximately 65km long.
Contd…
• The proposed new road alignment will connect to Gangola-Lhuntse
SNH using 8.1 km Menji GC Road and 3.5 km farm road connecting
Shakshing-Pogba. From T/yangtse side, the proposed new road
alignment will connect to existing farm road of length 5.1km till
T/yangtsse doksum road.
• These existing roads will require improvements at certain locations
and will add up to the proposed alignment, making total length of
road to 77.6 km.
• The entire road alignment has 24 zigs. (No of zigs in the two sections)
Contd…
• The road alignment traverses through marshy area for about 50m at a
place called Goenpa Ningpa and Pogba at chainage 80.000m. This
area will require water management structures to lower the
groundwater table.
• The alignment will also traverse through steep rocky terrain for about
200m to 300m at chainage 27.000km, few hundred meters below the
Dongla Peak and will pose difficulty during survey and road
construction.
• The entire alignment will require four major bridges, one at
Tongdalachhu (chainage 50.000km) and another at Jatsakangri river
(chainage 65.000km) under Tashiyangtse dzongkhag. (Four bridge
needs detail here..)