KATHMANDU: The deadline for the Muglin-Pokhara Road Project (Western Section) has been extended for the second time.
The expansion work on the Prithvi Highway, covering the stretch from Jamune to Pokhara, has been extended by a year according to Saujanya Nepal, the engineer overseeing the project.
The initial agreement for the project was signed on May 16, 2021, and work began on August 28, 2021. The construction of this section has been assigned to the Chinese company Yanhui Kaiyuan Highway and Bridge Construction.
The first deadline extension was set for August 28, 2024, but progress remained slow, prompting the need for another extension.
So far, the project has achieved 34.94 percent physical progress. The first layer of blacktop has been laid on 23.91 kilometers of road — with 5.45 kilometers blacktopped on both sides and 18.46 kilometers on one side.
The western section passes through Myagde Rural Municipality, Shuklagandaki Municipality, and Pokhara Metropolitan City.
Of the planned 11 bridges in this section, five have been built. Additionally, agreements have been reached with 24 water supply institutions to transfer pipelines and structures along the construction area, and this work is currently underway.
The road, originally designed in 1969, is being expanded to four lanes to accommodate increasing traffic pressure.
The project is being funded with a loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the particular section has a contract value of Rs. 7.4 billion.
The construction company has assured authorities that the work will be completed within the new deadline.
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