TANAHUN: Repair work has finally begun on a sunken section of the Muglin–Pokhara road in Byas Municipality-3, Tanahun, four months after the damage disrupted traffic movement in the area.
The stretch near Durga Temple had sunk in the last week of Shrawan after heavy vehicular pressure caused cracks and collapse on two temporary lanes. The Muglin–Pokhara road had originally been upgraded to four lanes by adding two temporary lanes on top of the existing two-lane structure.
Engineer Bishnu Prasad Pandey of the Muglin–Pokhara Road Project (Eastern Section) said around 100 meters of roadway had sunk, forcing authorities to close the damaged section and allow only one-way traffic through the remaining lanes. “We have started removing the old blacktop and begun repairs from today,” he said.
According to the project, blacktopping of the 41.5 km eastern section from Jamune to Aanbukhaireni has already been completed. The eastern upgrade contract was awarded to China Communication Construction, with work beginning on April 15, 2021, after an agreement in January 2021.
The Muglin–Pokhara road, originally designed in 1970, is being widened with financial assistance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to accommodate growing traffic pressure. The contract cost for the eastern section stands at Rs 6.21 billion.
Authorities expect that once the sunken portion is fully restored, traffic management will improve significantly along this key corridor linking the Kathmandu–Muglin route with Pokhara.
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