Access Bhutan Project

The Gelephu–Tareythang road and bridges represent a critical 13.6 km link in Bhutan’s Southern East-West Highway, designed to provide high-speed, resilient connectivity to the Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC) and the local dry port. To ensure the long-term quality of this infrastructure, the project is piloting a Performance-Based Road Maintenance Contract (PBMC), a modern procurement model where payments to contractors are tied to the actual condition of the road (e.g., lack of potholes, functional drainage) rather than just the volume of work completed. Because the road passes through ecologically sensitive areas—home to endangered species like the Asian Elephant and Gee’s Golden Langur—the project is governed by a Biodiversity Management Plan and Net Gain Strategy (BMPNGS). This strategy follows the “mitigation hierarchy” to avoid and minimize harm, while implementing “Net Gain” measures like wildlife underpasses and habitat enrichment to ensure that the project’s presence actually results in a measurable improvement for the local ecosystem compared to its original state.