KAVREPALANCHOK: Blacktopping work on the Dhulikhel–Khawa section of the Araniko Highway in Kavrepalanchok has remained suspended for the past two months due to a shortage of bitumen, affecting the ongoing road upgrade project.
According to the Division Road Office, Bhaktapur, paving work was carried out in March after nighttime traffic restrictions were imposed for about a month. During that period, a DBM (Dense Bituminous Macadam) layer was laid on one side of the road. However, further work has been stalled because of the unavailability of bitumen.
The first phase of the project involved blacktopping a 2.5-kilometre stretch from Dhulikhel Chowk in both directions. The road has been fully reopened to traffic since mid-April.
Senior Divisional Engineer and Office Chief Suman Yogesh said the remaining paving work has been on hold for two months due to the shortage of raw materials. Although the DBM layer was completed in the initial phase, the final asphalt surfacing is yet to be laid.
According to Yogesh, blacktopping of the remaining section of the four-kilometre road upgrade project was scheduled to begin in the first week of Baisakh, but the work could not proceed because bitumen imports were delayed.
In the meantime, maintenance work, including filling potholes, is being carried out to ease travel along the road. Yogesh said the remaining 1.5-kilometre rocky section will be paved once bitumen becomes available. The upgrade includes a 20-centimetre cement-treated base over gravel, followed by two layers of blacktopping—DBM and asphalt.
Construction activities resumed after a new contractor was appointed in October, following prolonged delays attributed to the previous contractor’s negligence.
The Division Road Office has awarded the contract to CNA-1 Kali JV for Rs 315.6 million, excluding VAT, with a deadline to complete the project by Poush this fiscal year. After the blacktopping is completed, slope stabilization and other minor works will be carried out.
The Dhulikhel–Khawa section is part of the strategically important Araniko Highway, which connects Kathmandu with the Tatopani border point in Sindhupalchok and serves as a key transport corridor to Dolakha, Ramechhap and Nepal’s northern border with China.
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