POKHARA: The construction of the western section of the Pokhara–Muglin road (Pokhara–Jamune) is expected to be completed within the current fiscal year, according to the project office.
So far, the physical progress of the project has reached 59.76 percent, while the financial progress stands at 47.80 percent, the office stated.
Out of the total 38.88 kilometers, blacktopping of the first layer on one side has been completed in 37.4 kilometers, said project chief engineer Krishna Bahadur Kunwar. According to him, two-way (four-lane) blacktopping has been done on 29.61 kilometers, and one-way (two-lane) blacktopping on 7.79 kilometers.
Second-layer asphalting has been completed on 18.3 kilometers (two-lane), and service lane blacktopping on two kilometers, Kunwar added. Only 1,080 meters in Bijaypur Bridge, Dandako Nak, and Mauribhir areas remain to be blacktopped on one side.
Since the beginning of the current fiscal year, the project has completed first-layer blacktopping on 3.23 kilometers (four-lane) and second-layer asphalting on 14 kilometers (two-lane). Two culverts have also been completed during the same period.
“Most works, including road widening, drainage, and culvert construction, are almost done,” Kunwar said. “The project is on track to finish within this fiscal year as the construction company has accelerated its work.”
Construction began in September 2021, and the contract is valid until mid-January 2026. The deadline has already been extended twice due to delays by the contractor, he added.
The project is being executed by China’s Yanhui Kaiyuan Highway and Bridge Construction Company. The road section from Jamune (Tanahun) to Seti Bridge (Pokhara) will include both six-lane and four-lane stretches.
Of the 13 bridges in the western section, 11 have already been completed, while two are under construction, Kunwar said. All 105 culverts have been built.
Bridges over Myagdi Khola, Kumle Khola, Thade Khola, Samdhi Khola, Mul Khola, Fedi Khola–1, Fedi Khola–2, Rudi Khola, Haledi Khola, Kali Khola in Tanahun, and Kotre Khola in Kaski have been completed.
The Bijaypur Bridge (Kaski) and Seti Bridge are currently under construction.
The project, part of the 50-year-old Prithvi Highway, is being upgraded and expanded with financial support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
The eastern section of the highway (Jamune–Muglin) has already reached its final phase of construction.
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