The East-West Highway , also known as the Lateral Road , is Bhutan 's primary east–west corridor, connecting Phuentsholing in the southwest to Trashigang in the east. In between, the Lateral Road runs directly through Wangdue Phodrang , Trongsa , and other population centers. The Lateral Road also has spurs connecting to the capital Thimphu and other major population centers such as Paro and Punakha .
17-458: Bumthang may refer to: Bumthang (town) , officially Jakar Bumthang District Bumthang River Bumthang Kingdom Bumthang people Bumthang language Bumthang Province Bumthang Valley Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Bumthang . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change
34-755: A protected area of Bhutan . Jakar has a subtropical highland climate ( Köppen : Cwb ). Jakar is accessed via a north-south road that connects to the Lateral Road , the main highway of Bhutan. Jakar is also the site of Bathpalathang Airport . The airport formed part of the Royal Bhutanese Government 's 10th Five Year Plan (2008). The airport was originally scheduled to open in October 2010, but faced many delays due to soil stability, river diversion, funding, and labour. Labour and material shortages through early 2011 prompted
51-454: A monastery around 1549. The settlement thus earned the moniker Jakar, meaning "white bird." There are many significant Buddhist sacred sites nearby the town, such as Kurjey Lhakhang , which holds a body print of Guru Rinpoche; Jambey Lhakhang, one of the 108 monasteries that in mythology were miraculously constructed by King Songten Gampo in one night; and Tamsshing Lhakhag established by Tertön Padma Lingpa (1450–1521). In addition, one of
68-537: A new target date of July 2011, however as of September 2011, the airport had not been opened for operations. Further complications have arisen from legislated land and property compensation schemes for those who have been forced to move to accommodate the airport. Both Drukair and Tashi Air conducted inaugural flights to Bathpalathang on 17 December 2011—coinciding with the national day of Bhutan . The first commercial Drukair flight between Paro and Bathpalathang occurred on 23 December 2011; it failed to make
85-524: A number of high passes, including Tremo La and Dochu La . The highest pass on the road is at Chele La ; the second-highest pass is at Trumshing La in central Bhutan at an altitude of over 3,800 m (12,500 ft). The works that formed the Lateral Road, among other development projects, were fruits of mostly Indian and Nepali laborers. Their contributions were necessary to bolster Bhutanese national security and to connect populations. As
102-455: A profit. Constructed in 1667, Jakar Dzong sits atop a ridge above the town of Jakar. The dzong fortress is now an administrative center. It may be the largest dzong in Bhutan, with a circumference of more than 1,500 metres (4,900 ft). Being located in the spacious and tree covered Bumthang (Choekhor) Valley , the area is also a popular tourist destination, and consequently the town
119-413: Is a town in the central-eastern region of Bhutan . It is the district capital ( dzongkhag thromde ) of Bumthang District and the location of Jakar Dzong , the regional dzong fortress. The name Jakar roughly translates as "white bird" in reference to its foundation myth, according to which a roosting white bird signalled the proper and auspicious location to found a monastery around 1549. The town
136-486: Is served by several good quality hotels and craft shops, along with several guest houses. The bazaar is located on a street of single story buildings in an area of the town called Chamkhar. A new bazaar consisting of three story traditional buildings in the Dekiling area was planned to be completed in 2010. Jakar, like the rest of Bumthang District and its neighbors, is culturally part of eastern Bhutan. While Dzongkha
153-407: Is the four-wheel-drive pickup. Because much of the geology is unstable, there are frequent slips and landslides , which are aggravated by both summer monsoon and winter snowstorm and frost heave conditions. Teams of Indian labourers are housed at work camps in the mountain passes to be dispatched to clear the roads in the event of road blockage. The conditions in the work camps are poor, with
170-453: Is the national language of administration and instruction, local languages include Bumthang and Brokkat . Jakar is famous throughout Bhutan for its distinctive and brightly colored woven wool items called yethra . There are 19 schools in the dzongkhag. There are two higher secondary schools, three middle secondary schools and two lower secondary schools and the rest are community schools. Lateral Road The Lateral Road traverses are
187-539: Is the site of Chakhar Lhakhang, a small and unassuming temple which marks the site of the "Iron Palace" of Sindhu Raja, the Indian monarch who is believed to have first invited Guru Rinpoche to Bhutan in 746. The current building is said to have been constructed by Tertön Dorje Lingpa in the 14th century. According to the Jakar foundation myth, a roosting white bird signaled the proper and auspicious location to found
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#1732772016597204-418: The Lateral Road has led to increased infrastructure development, it has added to a sense of national unity, connecting various pockets of ethnic groups. Most freight in Bhutan is moved along the highway on eight-ton 300 hp (224 kW) Tata trucks, which are often overloaded and which stress road conditions. There is a network of passenger buses, and the most common vehicle in government and private use
221-435: The Lateral Road. During road closures, commercial and public vehicles are prohibited from attempting passes such as Thrumshing La , however private vehicles may proceed at their own risk. Blockages at high altitudes must be cleared by both heavy equipment and manual labour. At times, clearing crews have considerable difficulty even reaching the pass. Along the Lateral Road, there are many sheer drops of thousands of feet at
238-606: The country's largest monastic colleges, Lhodrak Kharchhu Monastery, overlooks Jakar. Jakar is located in Bumthang (Choekhor) Valley within Chhoekhor Gewog in central Bumthang. Administratively, however, Jakar is a separate thromde (municipality) inside the gewog. The administrative office for the Choekhor Gewog is located in the northern suburbs of Jakar. Just north of Jakar lies Wangchuck Centennial Park ,
255-471: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bumthang&oldid=1094043772 " Categories : Disambiguation pages Place name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Bumthang (town) Jakar ( Dzongkha : བྱ་ཀར་ , romanized : Bya-kar )
272-596: The roadside, notably around Thrumshing La . Because of the many hazards and frequently dangerous conditions, the Government of Bhutan has approved and begun constructing a bypass to the Lateral Road around Thrumshing La as part of its Tenth Five Year Plan . The bypass will cut travel time, distance, and danger by avoiding Thrumshing La. The new route is expected to shorten travel time between Shingkhar village ( Ura Gewog , Bumthang ) and Gorgan ( Menbi Gewog , Lhuntse ) by 100 km and 3 hours. The new road construction
289-473: The workers reduced to breaking rock into gravel on a piece-rate basis when not clearing the roads. An international aid project is under way to stabilize the worst sections of the road. A major Japanese aid project seeks to replace most of the narrow single track bridges with two-way girder spans capable of carrying heavier traffic. There are no stoplights. Mountain passes are often closed during winter due to heavy snowfall, shutting off land communication along
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