BAGLUNG: A long-neglected road connecting the centre of Kathekhola Rural Municipality to Resh in Baglung has finally been blacktopped, five years after construction began.
The four-kilometre stretch from Kathekhola Rural Municipality-7 to Resh, initially scheduled for completion within two years, was completed after repeated delays, making it the first long blacktopped road in the rural municipality.
According to Rural Municipality Chair Raju Thapa, a contract worth Rs 67.1 million was signed in 2077 BS to blacktop and slope the road within two years. However, the deadline was extended six times as the contractor failed to complete the work on time.
The project, originally a partnership between the federal government and the rural municipality, was ultimately completed with the municipality bearing significant costs. Thapa said the rural municipality invested around Rs 40 million to finish the project after taking ownership.
With the road now blacktopped, travel to Resh has become more comfortable. Previously, residents had to endure muddy conditions during the monsoon and dust in the dry season. The improved road has reduced travel time from the municipal centre to Resh to about 15 minutes.
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