SIRAHA: After a three-month halt, construction has resumed on the Lahan overpass, part of the Kanchanpur-Kamala road expansion project along the East-West Highway.
Although 26 pile foundations, each 35 meters deep, have already been completed at the Lahan main chowk, other structural delays have created congestion and chaos in the area.
Local businessman Dambar Ghimire said, “Traffic movement has become disorderly due to the prolonged delay, and the dust and mud have made it very difficult to conduct business.”
Following the demolition of the martyrs’ memorial, a diversion was created to allow one-way traffic. However, this temporary arrangement has not resolved the challenges. Locals continue to face frequent traffic jams, the risk of accidents, and increased air pollution. Frustrated residents even staged a road blockade in July in protest.
The construction company responsible, China Railway No. 2 Engineering Group, is now back on site. According to Engineer Saroj Kumar Koirala, Information Officer of the Kanchanpur-Kamala Road Expansion Project (West Section), the major reasons for the delay include local protests, ongoing festivals, and prolonged monsoon rains.
“The construction couldn’t move forward because the pile foundations for the underpass, overpass, and sky bridge needed to be completed first,” he explained.
He also pointed out that delays in removing electric poles along the road alignment further obstructed progress. The overpass, which will span 550 meters with a ground clearance of six meters, is being built to meet international standards.
The broader road expansion project — upgrading the 86.83-kilometer stretch from Kanchanpur in Saptari to the Kamala River in Siraha to a four-lane highway — was contracted in 2020 at a total cost of Rs 15.66 billion. So far, the project has completed 112 culverts and 25 bridge abutments, and 12 bridges have already been opened to traffic.
With only two months remaining before the project deadline, the construction company reports that overall progress stands at just 67 percent.
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