Kavrepalanchok. The upgradation of the Dhulikhel-Khawa road section in Kavre along the Araniko Highway has been closed for two weeks in March.

The vehicular movement has been closed during the night from March 20 to 20 to make sure that the renovation work was expedited after an agreement was signed with the new construction company last November for the expansion of the road, which was stalled due to the negligence of the contractors. Issuing a public notice today, the Road Division Office, Bhaktapur, said that the road has been closed for the operation of vehicles during the night for the blacktopping work.

According to him, heavy four-wheelers will be banned from 6:00 pm to 5:00 am during the period which will be closed for blacktopping of the road section from April 20 to 20.

Buses carrying passengers have also been banned during the time and alternative routes have been requested. Likewise, tippers and trucks have been banned from plying round the clock.

Delay in the construction of the road section has made the highway difficult for the past three years. The office had called for tender again in August last year, five months after scrapping the old contract. Yogesh said that the new construction company is hopeful that the new construction company will complete the four-kilometer road section on time. The office had terminated the contract with the construction company citing that the road from Dhulikhel to Khawa had not been completed in the stipulated time.

After 11 months of the expiry of the contract, the office has terminated the contract with the construction company that took the responsibility for the upgrading on February 29 last year. The company had been awarded the contract for Rs 201.9 million on June 2, 2022 to complete the project within 22 months i.e. April 2, 2080.

The highway, which is also the main road leading to Tatopani of Sindhupalchowk and neighbouring districts including Dolakha and Ramechhap, has been compelled to travel through dust, mud, traffic jam and accidents.

The office has planned to lay a base of 20 centimeters thick cement on the gravel for the first time to strengthen the load-bearing capacity of the goods vehicles plying on the road and to blacktop the DBM and Asphal in two phases. Passengers have been injured in road accidents that have been demolished for reconstruction due to lack of timely completion of road construction work.