Skip to content
Laganinews Logo

16-km Suryabinayak-Dhulikhel road not completed even in three years

लगानी न्यूज

Kavre. Locals have been facing problems due to the slow progress of the Suryabinayak-Dhulikhel road expansion project.

The 16-km road that was initiated three years ago with the objective of linking Kathmandu Valley to Kavrepalanchowk has not been completed within the stipulated time.TAG_OPEN_div_148

The deadline of the project was extended after the original agreement period of 36 months for the road expansion expired. Due to lack of budget, obstacles at the construction site and various technical problems, the work of the project has not progressed at the expected pace.

The project has been moved forward with the goal of expanding the main four lanes and two service lanes into six lanes. Along with the road expansion, the agreement is to construct drains, pedestrian paths, road safety structures, retaining walls, bridges and underpasses in necessary places.

According to the Department of Roads, the total estimated cost of the project is Rs 10.50 billion and the contract amount is Rs 8.51 billion. The project has been divided into two road sections, Suryabinayak-Sanga and Sanga-Dhulikhel.TAG_OPEN_div_142

According to the latest data, more than 40 percent of the work is still left to complete the entire project. The project claims that 68 percent physical and 63.5 percent economic progress has been made in the Sanga-Dhulikhel section of Kavre.

The physical progress of Suryabinayak-Sanga section of Bhaktapur is said to be 54 percent and economic progress has been 48 percent. Lama Construction Company Pvt Ltd has been awarded the contract for the upgradation of the 8.3 km long Sanga-Dhulikhel section under the project.

} The contract was signed on December 12, 2079 at a cost of Rs 4.05 billion, and the deadline of this section should be completed by December 10, 2083.

Similarly, the work of the 7.5 km Suryabinayak-Sanga section is being carried out by Bandhan Bhagwati JV. The contract for this section was signed on January 9, 2022 at a cost of Rs 3.88 billion. The original contract period was 36 months and the deadline for this section is to be completed by March 11, 2008.TAG_OPEN_div_134

There is a significant difference in the two sections. According to the project office, the construction of service lane, drain and retaining wall in the Sanga-Dhulikhel section of Kavre has been completed and the work of blacktopping the main road is going on.

The construction of retaining walls, concrete drains, service lanes and pitch of the main road is going on at a sluggish pace in the areas around Sanga, Janagal, Bansghari, Budol and Banepa Bazaar. The construction of sewerage, service lanes and main roads in the main urban areas of Banepa Bazaar has been progressing at a slow pace, causing problems to the residents of the municipality and affecting the trade and business of the locals.

Mani Shrestha, a local trader, said that although the shape of the road along this section is gradually changing after the necessary infrastructure for the construction of the road, the remaining work has not been completed.TAG_OPEN_div_128

{{TAG_OPEN_div_126} Structural works like preparing the foundation for the expansion of the road, retaining wall, bridge and drain are also going on at a snail’s pace along the Suryabinayak-Sanga section of Bhaktapur. The construction of underpass in Sanga area is going on continuously. Jeevan Shrestha, a local, said that the completion of the underpass at Sanga Bhanjyang has made it easier for the vehicles and pedestrians to and from the local settlements.

The construction of the bridge has become an important aspect of the project. Under the project, an agreement has been signed with M÷S Himdung and Thokar-Ramjanaki JV for the construction of 12 bridges at three places in Jagati, Mahadev Khola and Punyamata Khola.TAG_OPEN_div_124

The physical progress of the bridge, which is being constructed in the ‘Design and Build’ model, is limited to 10 percent and economic progress of 3.28 percent. Project engineer Bishnu Khanal said that the construction of the bridge took time due to necessary design review and technical issues.TAG_OPEN_div_122

According to him, the process of constructing the bridge has been forwarded after amending the design as per the problems seen at the local level and the technical requirement of the structure.TAG_OPEN_div_120

The lack of budget has also been the main reason for the delay. Anju Pariyar, information officer of the Project Implementation Unit, said that the government has been delaying the payment. A total budget of Rs 93 crore 10 lakh 17 thousand 716 has been allocated for the project in the current financial year. Out of this, Rs 2,32,17,716 has been allocated for the current expenditure and Rs 90.89 crore towards capital exclusion.TAG_OPEN_div_118

In the last fiscal year, the contractors were paid Rs 1.70 billion 79 lakh 23,376 including VAT. Pariyar said that due to lack of sufficient budget in the current fiscal year, there is a problem in paying the bills of the contractors who have completed the work.TAG_OPEN_div_116

The delay in payment has affected the pace of construction as regular financial resources are required for the purchase of construction materials, equipment mobilization and human resource management.TAG_OPEN_div_114

According to engineer Khanal, the project has not moved ahead as per the expectation due to dispute at local level, delay in shifting electric poles, drinking water pipes and optical fibre, problem of site clearance, crisis of bitumen and fuel and increase in the price of construction materials.TAG_OPEN_div_112

The design of the bridge has also taken more time. However, we are trying to complete the work within the extended time,” said Engineer Khanal. In course of the road expansion, electricity, drinking water and communication infrastructure have to be relocated.TAG_OPEN_div_110

The construction of the high and mid-voltage poles of the Nepal Electricity Authority, the main drinking water pipelines and the optical fibre were not relocated on time. According to the project office, the construction work has also been affected due to the removal of houses and huts that fall within the road standard in the main market areas of Jagati, Nalinchowk, Sanga and Banepa.

The construction company has to carry out road expansion work on the one hand and manage regular vehicular movement on the other. Traffic is affected due to dust flying from the construction site during the dry season and mud, water and unmanaged diversion during the rainy season.

{{TAG_OPEN_div_104} Locals, businessmen and passengers have been complaining about the lack of adequate water and the delay in the construction of the drain. Passengers say that it takes two hours to reach Kathmandu from Banepa due to traffic jam, which can be covered in about 45 minutes from Jagati to Banepa.

} Especially the Sanga area is becoming sensitive due to traffic pressure. As it is the main eastern entry point to the Kathmandu Valley, a large number of vehicles ply on this road every day.

This road also affects the flow of vehicles going to and from Sindhuli, Mahottari, Bardibas, Udayapur and various districts of Koshi Province via BP Highway. Due to the lack of adequate alternative routes and diversions during the construction, the problem of traffic jam has been seen in Sanga Bhanjyang and Banepa market areas.

Since the construction of the road and the operation of vehicles have to be managed at the same time, more time is spent on travel than in normal circumstances. The project office has also given priority to environmental impact reduction and road safety while constructing the road. The work of filling nets, constructing trekking walls, and planting grass and trees in the hills of Sanga and Bhaisepati areas is also slow to reduce the risk of landslides.

The project also includes a disabled-friendly walkway on both sides of the six-lane road, a concrete drain for drainage and installation of street lights to ease the movement at night.TAG_OPEN_div_96

With the construction of the

road, the construction of this structure will improve the utility of the road and the safety of the passengers. The project has been taken forward with the aim of not only widening the road but also developing it as a modern and safe highway.

} Although the road expansion is being carried out with the objective of easing the movement between the capital and eastern Nepal, to manage the traffic congestion and reduce the travel time, the passengers using the road are facing a direct impact due to the extension of the construction period.

As per the agreement, the deadline of the project was extended as the project could not be completed within the stipulated time.TAG_OPEN_div_91

According to the Project Office, a new action plan has been prepared with the goal of completing the construction of the six-lane road by 2083 BS.TAG_OPEN_div_89

Locals say that although the mobilization of manpower and equipment has been increased in both the road sections to complete the project within the extended time, the work is slow. According to Engineer Khanal, the construction company has been mobilized to complete the remaining work of the Sanga-Dhulikhel section within the current dry season and expedite the work of Suryabinayak-Sanga section.TAG_OPEN_div_87

TAG_OPEN_div_85 The completion of the road is expected to help reduce the traffic congestion and traffic jam at the eastern border point of the Kathmandu Valley. The ease of movement of commercial and passenger vehicles coming to the capital from eastern Nepal and going eastward from the capital is also expected to have a positive impact on the business activities.

The road will also play an important role in transporting local products to the markets of the Kathmandu Valley and facilitating the supply system from the eastern districts to the capital. But due to the delay in the completion of the project, these potential benefits are also being pushed back.

Due to the extension of the construction period, the passengers have to face the problem of daily jams, dust, mud and haphazard movement, while the time and fuel cost of vehicles is also increasing. In order for the citizens to fully reap the benefits of the huge public investment in road construction, it is necessary to complete the construction on time.TAG_OPEN_div_81

Although the physical progress of the entire project has been 61 percent even three years ago, the remaining works are said to be challenging due to the gap in the construction of two sections of the road and the bridge.TAG_OPEN_div_79

is to complete the remaining work within the extended deadline. For this, it is necessary to ensure adequate budget, timely payment of the work done by the contractors, remove obstacles within the road boundaries and effectively coordinate among the concerned bodies in the management of infrastructure such as electricity, drinking water, communication, etc.

This road connecting the capital to eastern Nepal via Kavre is not only a road expansion project but also an important infrastructure directly related to trade, tourism and economic activities.TAG_OPEN_div_75

Prabhu
sikhar insurance

प्रतिक्रिया दिनुहोस्

सम्बन्धित् समाचार

MAK 4T
Gili
sign