With the construction of a Matiere Panel Bridge, a bailey bridge, over the Chuwa River, Simkot—the district headquarters of Humla—has been connected to Nepal’s national road network.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli inaugurated the bridge, built by the Nepali Army, at Kharpunath Rural Municipality–5 on Sunday, July 6.

With the bridge now in operation, the 500-km journey from the Indian border town of Rupaidiha to Hilsa on the Nepal-China border can now be made without switching vehicles, political leaders said.

The road track connecting Simkot—the only district headquarters which was not linked to the national road system—was opened more than a year ago. It is part of the 270-km Karnali Corridor, which starts at Khulalu in Kalikot and also connects Bajura and Humla districts.

The Simkot–Hilsa Road Project was initiated over 25 years ago with the aim of connecting remote Karnali to China, primarily to ensure food security.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, PM Oli said the Karnali Corridor would be developed as a trade route linking both China and India. “It will be developed into a dual-lane road,” state-owned RSS news agency quoted him as saying. “A permanent bridge will be constructed over the Chuwa River.”

To facilitate trade with China, the prime minister also pledged to build a quarantine facility at Hilsa.

The prime minister was accompanied by his wife, Radhika Shakya; Defence Minister Manbir Rai; Physical Infrastructure and Transport Minister Devendra Dahal; Karnali Province Chief Minister Yam Lal Kandel; and Chief of the Nepali Army, Ashok Raj Sigdel, among others, according to RSS.