Annual Bulletin 2006

Annual Information Bulletin 2006BackgroundChapter IIDepartment of RoadsThe Department of Roads (DoR) started functioning from 3rd week of December1959 as Bhutan Roads Project. It used to take care of all the development andconstruction works like residential buildings, non-residential building like schools,hospitals, offices, store, road constructions, etc. It was renamed as BhutanEngineering Services from October 1961. The first Highway "Phuentsholing -Thimphu" was constructed in a record time of 14 months only by the then BhutanEngineering Services. From then the Department had various names such as PublicWorks Department, Department of Roads, Public Works Division, Division of Roadsand now the Department of Roads.The Department of Roads (DoR) is responsible for construction, maintenance andconsolidation of the road network in the country. Bhutan being a landlockedcountry, motorable roads provide the only means of transport within the country.There is an increasing need to expand the national road network and to maintainthe existing road infrastructure to enhance the socio-economic development of therural communities. The country’s steep and fragile terrain characterized by highmountains and deep gorges, scattered settlement pattern, low population density,resource constraints, etc. make the development and management of road networkin the kingdom very challenging and expensive.ObjectivesThe 9 th Plan objectives of DoR are:• To improve accessibility to social and economic activities by building moreroads;• To improve the existing road network with a view to reduce travel time, roaduser costs and transportation costs of goods and services;• To phase out gradually from direct involvement in road works and toconcentrate increasingly on design, estimates, supervision, quality control andassuming regulatory role;• To mitigate damages to natural environment during execution of road works;• To enhance productivity in road works; and• To uphold past investments in road infrastructures.Ministry of Works and Human Settlement 6