KATHMANDU: The expansion of the Muglin-Pokhara section of the Prithvi Highway has picked up pace, with 74 percent of the physical work completed.
The project involves expanding a 41.45-kilometer stretch from Aanbukhaireni to Jamune.
Bishnu Prasad Pandey, Information Officer for the Eastern Section, reported that the final phase of blacktopping has been completed over 27.4 kilometers in the eastern section.
This phase includes a two-layer process, with 6 centimeters of blacktop in the first phase and an additional 4 centimeters in the second.
Overall, blacktop work on two lanes has been finished for 69 kilometers. Construction activities are progressing rapidly in sections such as Dumre, Chirkan, and Damauli.
The final blacktop work is underway in Bandipur, Aanbukhaireni, and Byas municipalities, with plans to start road painting once the blacktopping is complete.
In Damauli Bazaar, road expansion is progressing, with drains being constructed and a 23-meter width maintained from the center point. Additionally, blacktopping is ongoing for the Buldipul-to-Ghansikuwa stretch.
The project has also completed the construction of 14 small bridges, with one large bridge near Dumre Bazaar nearing completion and two others already finished. The Madi River bridge connecting Byas Municipality Wards 4 and 5 is over 50 percent complete.
The project, undertaken by China Communication Construction with loan assistance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), is being built as a four-lane highway to accommodate increasing traffic.
Initially contracted for Rs 6.21 billion, the deadline for completion has been extended to February 14 after the original contract period expired.
The road expansion, which began on April 15, 2022, aims to enhance connectivity and address the growing transportation demands in the region.
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