NAWALPUR: The road expansion work along the Narayanghat–Butwal section of the East–West Highway is currently being carried out only during nighttime in Gaindakot.
The remaining 170 meters of road, extending westward from the Narayani River bridge, still needs to be connected with the blacktopped section, prompting authorities to continue work at night.
Shiva Khanal, Information Officer and Engineer at the Narayanghat–Butwal Road Project (Eastern Section), said that work is being conducted daily from 10 PM to 4 AM.
“The traffic volume during the day is extremely high, making it difficult to work smoothly,” he said. “With fewer vehicles at night, we are able to continue the expansion work more efficiently.”
Daytime construction had resulted in long traffic jams, creating challenges for traffic management, which led to the shift in work hours to nighttime, he added.
According to Khanal, if progress continues as per the schedule, blacktopping on this stretch will be completed within the next 10 days. Except for parts of Gaindakot and the Daunne hill area, the eastern section of the Narayanghat–Butwal road has already been blacktopped on one side, the project office reported. With festival season over, construction work has accelerated.
“About three kilometers in Daunne are currently being blacktopped, while slope work is ongoing along the remaining 10 kilometers,” he said. “In areas where both lanes have been blacktopped, work is underway to install dividers, service lanes, and other beautification elements.”
Khanal said the physical progress of the project has reached around 70 percent. Of the total 114 kilometers of the Narayanghat–Butwal section, the eastern stretch covers 65 kilometers and the western stretch 49 kilometers.
Under the expansion plan, 100 kilometers of the road will be widened to four lanes, while the geographically challenging 14-kilometer Daunne section will be upgraded to three lanes. The project will also include the construction of two additional lanes on both sides of the road in urban areas, which will function as service lanes, according to Khanal.
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