KATHMANDU: The completion of the Gwarko Flyover in Lalitpur will be delayed by an additional three months.
Although much of the construction work is nearing completion, the flyover is still not ready for traffic operation.
Construction, which had previously been halted due to rain, has now resumed.
However, delays caused by the contractor have led to the project falling behind the original schedule.
Prabhat Kumar Jha, Director of the Quality, Research, and Development Center under the Road Department, informed Khabarhub that the current focus is on the slab slopes leading up to the main bridge.
“Work on the slope of the slab leading to the main bridge has been completed, and the installation of the barrier walls on both sides is progressing. Additionally, work on the ramp up to the access road is advancing,” he explained.
The flyover construction is now in its final stages. “Had it not been for the rain, we had planned to complete everything by Dashain,” Jha said. “However, the heavy rains in early October disrupted the remaining work.”
Delay due to rain
Around 80 percent of the flyover construction has been completed. It was expected that work would accelerate in October, but heavy rains across the country during the first week of the month halted progress.
With the end of the festival season, including Dashain and Tihar, construction workers have resumed their duties.
According to the project team, work on the flyover has resumed as technical staff, who had returned to their villages for the holidays, are back on site.
Remaining work
Most of the flyover’s construction is nearly complete. However, a few tasks remain, including the final connection of access roads and the installation of traffic lights.
The project’s contract has been extended until mid-January, 2025.
The original contract deadline, set for April 2024, was extended by 10 months due to delays.
Jha confirmed that the goal is to complete the remaining work within the newly extended timeframe.
Project overview
The Gwarko Flyover is being built under the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) model by the Ashish Parallel Religare Joint Venture (JV).
Construction began on February 2022 with an initial completion deadline of two years. However, due to delays, the project deadline was extended by 10 months.
The total cost of the project is NPR 17.8 million, with 35 percent of the budget already spent.
Once completed, this flyover will be Nepal’s first to meet international standards.
It will span 320 meters toward Balkumari and 185 meters toward Satdobato, and will feature 24 piles, each 1.2 meters in diameter and 30 meters in length.
After construction, the contractor will be responsible for maintenance and repairs for five years.
The Quality, Research, and Development Center under the Road Department is overseeing the project’s management and facilitation.
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