DHULIKHEL: The expansion of the Suryabinayak–Dhulikhel road section along the Araniko Highway has achieved around 67 percent physical progress three years after construction began.
The 16-kilometre stretch, part of the Dhulikhel–Sindhuli–Bardibas road project, is being upgraded from a two-lane to a six-lane road. The project includes the construction of service lanes on both sides and a 2.5-metre-wide footpath.
According to project officials, the work is expected to be completed within the extended deadline. The original timeline expired, and an additional one-year extension was granted in the last week of December.
The road expansion has been divided into two sections: Suryabinayak–Sanga and Sanga–Dhulikhel. The contract for the eight-kilometre Sanga–Dhulikhel section was signed in December 2019, and expired in November last year. Lama Construction Pvt Ltd undertook the project at a cost of Rs 4.05 billion. So far, about 60 percent of the work has been completed in this section.
Project officials say that overall progress stands at around 65 percent, while physical work excluding blacktopping has reached nearly 90 percent.
In the Suryabinayak–Sanga section, approximately 55 percent of the work has been completed. Construction, which had been halted for about one and a half years due to disputes over the centre line, resumed in the third week of December.
Demolition of structures and road widening are currently underway in several areas, including Janagal, Bansghari–Budol, Sanga–Bhaisepati and Banepa Bazaar.
The 7.5-kilometre Suryabinayak–Sanga section was awarded at a cost of Rs 3.88 billion, and its deadline has also been extended. Work is ongoing on retaining walls, drainage systems and culverts, although progress has been slowed by challenging terrain, including sharp bends and embankments in the Sanga area.
According to the project, construction of one bridge over the Mahadev River is underway, while delays in the design of two other bridges—caused by local objections—have now been resolved, with construction expected to begin soon.
Traffic pressure on the Araniko Highway has increased significantly following the reopening of the Tatopani border point with China. Currently, more than 2,500 vehicles, both long- and short-distance, use the route daily from Koteshwor.
Comment