DHULIKHEL: Upgrading work on the Dhulikhel-Khawa road section along the Araniko Highway has begun with a temporary ban on vehicular traffic.
The Division Road Office, Bhaktapur, has closed the road for two weeks starting Saturday night to accelerate paving and expansion work.
Senior Divisional Engineer Sunam Yogesh said vehicles will be restricted from 6:00 pm to 5:00 am between March 21 and April 3, with tippers and cargo trucks completely banned during this period.
The goal is to pave 2.5 kilometers of the four-kilometer section this month, with the remainder completed in April. Initially, the road will be paved with CTV before final surfacing, incorporating slope maintenance and other minor works to manage landslides.
The construction was delayed for years due to contractor negligence. After canceling the previous contract with Gauri-Parbati Construction Service, the office signed a Rs 315.6 million deal (excluding VAT) with CNA One Kali JV last Kartik to complete the work in 14 months. Small structures and retaining walls are currently under construction, with blacktop paving planned once colder weather subsides.
The seven-meter-wide road is a key link to Nepal’s northern border at Tatopani and neighboring districts like Dolakha and Ramechhap. For the first time in Nepal, the upgrade will use a 20-centimeter cement-mixed base over gravel, followed by two-stage blacktopping with DBM and asphalt to enhance the road’s load-bearing capacity for freight vehicles.
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