DAMAULI: Fifty-three percent of the work on the western section of the Muglin–Pokhara road expansion project has been completed.
According to the Muglin–Pokhara Road Project (Western Section), progress has been steady on the stretch from Jamune in Tanahun to Seti Bridge in Pokhara.
Project Chief Krishna Bahadur Kunwar said that two-way blacktopping has been completed on a 24-kilometer segment, while one-way blacktopping has been completed on another 12.8 kilometers.
The remaining three kilometers of one-way blacktopping are expected to be finished by the end of Jestha.
Out of 12 bridges planned in the western section, 10 have been completed, along with 92 of the 100 culverts. However, work has been delayed due to the need to relocate 424 electricity poles.
In particular, delays in removing poles between Talchowk and Adarshchowk and from Dandako Nak to Bijaypur have slowed progress. Kunwar noted that four-lane road construction from Kotre to Setipul is expected to be completed by mid-Ashar, following a commitment to remove the poles within a week.
The contract for the western section was signed on Jestha 30, 2078 BS, and the work is scheduled to be completed by Poush 16, 2082 BS. Chinese company Anhui KUN Highway and Bridge secured the contract, valued at Rs 7.4 billion.
Meanwhile, the eastern section of the project—from Aanbukhaireni to Jamune—is nearing completion, with 85 percent of the work already done.
Engineer Bishnu Prasad Pandey reported that blacktopping is almost complete in this stretch, except for one side of the Madi Bridge and the Bimalnagar section. Blacktopping in Damauli Bazaar has also reached the final stage.
The deadline for the eastern section has been extended for the third time and is currently set for Jestha 29.
However, Pandey said the work is on track to finish within that period. The contract for the eastern section, awarded to China Communication Construction Company, was signed on Magh 17, 2077 BS, with work beginning on Baisakh 2, 2078 BS.
The road is being upgraded to four lanes with the financial support of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to address rising traffic pressure on the route, which was originally established in 2026 BS. The eastern section contract is worth approximately Rs 6.21 billion.
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