Gandaki. Pokhara: The construction of Harichowk-Yamdi road of Pokhara Metropolitan City-1 in Kaski under the Mid-Hill Highway, a project of national pride, has been severely delayed.

Motidan Construction Service Pvt Ltd of Kathmandu had taken the contract for the construction of the 2,200-metre-long road in July 2018. According to the Parbat-based Highway Project Office, the road could not be expanded and upgraded in time due to the negligence of the construction company.

Office engineer Kiran Subedi said 70 percent physical and 66 percent financial progress has been made so far in the construction of the road. Although the blacktopping was started with asphalt technology from the second week of April, the blacktopping of the first phase has not been completed yet, he said. Engineer Subedi said, “The second level of blacktopping is yet to be done and it seems that it will take a few more months to complete the road marking and beautification works.” ’

According to him, the blacktopping of the first level started from Harichowk has reached the final stage. Engineer Subedi said that the road construction has been affected due to electricity poles, drinking water management and payment problems. According to him, the transportation service of the section will be easier by the coming winter. “Locals and commuters were suffering due to lack of roads for a long time, but now it has become much easier,” he said.

The four-lane road on both sides of the section was constructed four years ago. The main road leading to Pokhara, the capital of the province, has been facing inconvenience due to the dilapidated section of the road. Transport entrepreneurs have complained that the road has become rough and chaotic, which has increased the problem of traffic jams and the risk of accidents.

According to the Project Office, the contract has been extended twice as the work could not be completed on time. Although the project office tried to break the contract, the deadline has been extended after the construction company promised to speed up the work.

Engineer Subedi said that the construction company could not complete the work on time as per the commitment. Locals had repeatedly drawn the attention of the project office and other stakeholders to the delay in the construction of the road.

Last year, on June 15, he had also organized a pressure program by planting saplings on the road. Hundreds of vehicles from Parbat, Baglung, Myagdi, Mustang, Rukum East and other districts come to Pokhara every day.