KARNALI: A contract worth Rs 4 billion has been awarded for the blacktopping of 50 kilometers of road along the Surkhet-Karnali Corridor.
Following the allocation of funds by the Ministry of Finance for the current fiscal year, the contract will cover the construction of 50 kilometers of road in the Bajura section (Piluchaur-Kuwadi) and the Humla section (Kuwadi-Tumchaur) under the Karnali Corridor.
The Karnali Corridor, a project of national pride, aims to extend the road network to Hilsa in Humla.
Once completed, this road will connect the Nepal-India border to the Nepal-China border at Jamunaha in Banke.
The total length of the road from Jamunaha in Banke to Hilsa in Humla will span 505 kilometers.
The section from Khulalu in Kalikot, through Piluchaur in Bajura, to Simkot (Humla’s headquarters) and then on to the China border at Hilsa is 269 kilometers long.
The Road Department has also requested a budget to blacktop the road from Khulalu to Piluchaur within the current fiscal year, with plans to speed up construction in the upper section.
The southern section of the Karnali Corridor, from Khulalu in Kalikot, is being managed by Kolti Bajura, covering a 123-kilometer stretch.
The northern section, from Sallisalla in Humla to Hilsa, is overseen by Humla.
In 2064 BS, the Government of Nepal launched the Kalikot-Humla-Jumla Road Project.
The Nepal Army took responsibility for constructing the road from Khulalu in Kalikot to Salisalla in Humla via Bajura, beginning in Chaitra 2071.
The road, which was opened by the Army, was handed over on Poush 15, 2080, and is now being upgraded with a blacktop contract.
Project engineer Pankaj Singh Dhami reported that the new contract involves blacktopping an additional 50 kilometers of road in the southern section of the Karnali Corridor, from Narharinath-8 Khulalu in Kalikot to Sallisalla in Humla.
Work is already underway to widen the road, build drainage systems, and prepare the gravel road from Khulalu.
Dhami added that two multi-year contracts have been called for work on the Piluchaur-Tumchaur section, and construction entrepreneurs will be deployed after completing the necessary processes within three months.
The contract will cover the blacktopping of 23.7 kilometers from Piluchaur-Kuwadi and 26.3 kilometers from Kuwadi-Tumchaur in Bajura, with a target to complete the work within three years from the signing of the contract.
The road will be blacktopped to a width of 5.5 meters on difficult slopes, 7.75 meters in other areas, and 9 meters in market areas.
Meanwhile, the Karnali Corridor South Section (Khulalu-Sallisalla) Road Planning Office in Kolti Bajura is working on a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the construction of new bridges at Bandu, Pahima Khola in Bajura, and Makai Khola in Humla.
The Road Department has also requested a budget to blacktop the road from Khulalu to Piluchaur within the current fiscal year, with plans to speed up construction in the upper section.
The Karnali Corridor North Section (Hilsa-Simkot-Sallisalla) Planning Office has allocated a budget of Rs 340 million this year.
Work on upgrading the Simkot-Hilsa section began last year, with ongoing construction of gravel roads, gavin walls, and drainage systems.
Government officials have stated plans to award contracts in several packages for road upgrades and other work in remaining sections by the end of the current fiscal year.
Four bridges under construction, DPRs for three bridges completed
Construction is underway for four bridges on the Khulalu-Simkot road section. RCC steel bridges are being built over the Tagru Khola, Heppa Khola, Angar Khola, and Kharpunath River.
Once complete, these bridges will make Simkot-Surkhet directly accessible, especially after the construction of a concrete bridge on Kharpunath Khola.
The Karnali Corridor North Section (Hilsa-Simkot-Sallisalla) Road Planning Office in Humla is preparing the contract for the RCC steel bridge, with the Bailey bridge process advancing in Kharpunath.
Meanwhile, the Karnali Corridor South Section (Khulalu-Sallisalla) Road Planning Office in Kolti Bajura is working on a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the construction of new bridges at Bandu, Pahima Khola in Bajura, and Makai Khola in Humla.
Engineer Dhami noted that the office is preparing a DPR for the construction of an RCC bridge in the current fiscal year.
He added, “During the rainy season, traffic has been disrupted for a day or two due to rising river levels. We are taking steps to ensure smooth traffic flow in the long term by advancing the necessary bridge construction processes.”
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