Construction and infrastructure projects in Bhutan: 2026 overview

Updated 22 October 2026. Bhutan’s construction activity in 2026 is being shaped by airport development, hydropower and transport connectivity. This overview identifies selected projects and their reported stages. It is a project overview, not a list of open tenders.

Image: illustrative construction photograph, not a progress photograph of the projects discussed below.

Gelephu International Airport: earthworks and site preparation

In its 29 April 2026 report, BBS said about 65 per cent of the airport’s earthworks had been completed. It described drainage, cut-and-fill operations and compaction as part of preparing the site. This is a dated progress snapshot, not an October completion figure. Read the BBS report.

Dorjilung: a major hydropower financing milestone

The World Bank and Royal Government signed financing agreements for the 1,125 MW Dorjilung project on 5 May 2026. The project is on the Kurichhu River in eastern Bhutan. For contractors, the next useful reference points are package-specific procurement notices and implementation updates. World Bank announcement.

Khorlochhu: a multi-year civil works programme

CDCL lists its KC-3B Kholongchu Hydro Power Project package in Trashiyangtse with a January 2025–July 2029 project period. This contractor record supports including the project in a multi-year construction overview, rather than describing it as a project completed in 2025. CDCL project record.

Gelephu–Tareythang: roads and bridges in the pipeline

MoIT’s May 2026 roadshow described approximately 14 km of road, five major bridges and a wildlife corridor. The ministry also listed a revised contractor prequalification notice dated 7 October 2026. The revised prequalification notice places the scheme in the procurement pipeline; awards and construction schedules should be checked against subsequent official notices. Project overview · Prequalification notice.

What this means for equipment planning

For contractors, the practical task is to match equipment to the awarded scope: excavation and material handling, grading and compaction, or concrete production and placement. Plan access, working space, operator training, service coverage and spare parts before mobilisation. These are general planning considerations, not verified equipment orders for the projects above.

Yoebar can help discuss equipment requirements against your work scope. The catalogue examples below illustrate equipment categories; they do not imply that Yoebar supplies these projects.

Looking further ahead? Read the separate 2027 construction outlook.