Selbe River reconstruction to finish next month

The Selbe River channel reconstruction project starts from the Zuun Ail bridge for 350 meters, designed to increase the river’s flow. The project begun last August and took a break mid November, during the winter and restarted this April. The five month long project is showing positive effects to the capital’s residents already.

The reconstruction of the walls, which have existed for half a century but had weathered and broken due to time, has come to an end. At present the west wall of the river has been cast in a yellow colour in accordance with the construction company Norbu’s plans. 

The manager of the Selbe project Ts.Odkhuu answered some questions.

-How is the project coming along? What stage is it at now?

-The setting of the wall is nearly completed. In total, 3500 square meters of concrete was used for the walls. 

Only around 30 square meters of casting is left and it is being done as we speak.

-When will the Selbe River flow through its channel?

-By the later part of next week, the goe-membrane or the soil water isolating material will be placed. After this, geo-textiles will be placed over the top, which is a sort of cloth-like material, then bed rocks will be set and we can let the river flow. The materials are environmentally friendly. We have made a slight adjustment to the channel course. 

-Can we assume that the channel reconstruction project is coming to an end?

-After the reconstruction of the channel the decorations will be done. A sidewake will be made on both sides of the river with stone tiles and Orkhon Jims Nogoo Company of Selenge province will provide the seedlings for the trees and bushes that will be planted around the river bed. The 38 LED lightings that will be set are going to be brought from South Korea. We are hoping to be complete by the first half of June. 

The Selbe River reconstruction project is the first large scale project of Ulaanbaatar city that concerns water establishments. Engineers from Russia with thirty to forty years of experience worked as advisories for the project. After the completion of this project 850 meters of channel to the Arslantai Bridge will be reconstructed to increase the water flow. It looks like the capital will have a lively flowing Selbe River before the National Naadam Festival.