Bhadrapur. There has been no progress in upgrading the road section from Kakarbhitta of Jhapa in the east to Laukahi road section of Sunsari in the west along the East-West Highway. It is estimated that the contract period will not be completed within three years if the work is carried out at this pace.

Of the 120 km road from Kakarvitta to Laukahi, 95.76 km was upgraded. With 84.9 percent loan from the Asian Development Bank and 15.1 percent investment from the Government of Nepal, the project will be 50 meters wide with service lanes between four lanes in urban areas under the Kakarvitta-Laukahi road section.

Similarly, in semi-urban areas, there will be a 33-meter wide road with the addition of one lane on both sides of the four-lane road and 24 meters wide road of four lanes in the remaining areas. Kakarbhitta-Laukahi road project is 45 kilometers east of Kakarvitta-Kerkha Sitapuri and 50 kilometers from Kerkha to Itahari. The 76-km western section is divided into two parts. So far, 30 per cent physical and financial progress should be made in both the sections, while only 21.10 per cent progress has been made in the eastern section and 25 per cent in the western section.

The Everscone-Kalika JV signed a contract for the Kakarvitta-Kerkha road section of the eastern section at a cost of Rs 10.06 billion and started the work from January 1, 2080, said Aashray Mahat, an engineer of the section.

Of the 18 bridges smaller than 300 meters, 17 are under construction and 63 culverts have been constructed. A two-kilometer drain has been constructed. The eight-kilometer sub-base has been completed. 1. Engineer Mahat said that the 7-kilometer base has been completed. The entire stretch of this road section falls in Jhapa.

Engineer Mahat said that shifting of electric poles and site clearance in urban areas is in the final stage. He said that work could not be done in some places as the soil could not be filled due to lack of soil at present. Kovec Craig Tundi JV has been awarded the contract for the construction of Ninda, Biring and Kankai bridges that are more than 300 meters long at a cost of Rs 5.97 billion. So far, the physical progress of these bridges is 19.35 percent.

There are three contracts under package no. 2, 3 and 5 under the western section. Package No. 2 is 40 kilometers from Sitapuri of Jhapa to Gothgaon of Morang. Engineer Pallab Shrestha informed that Craig Tundi JV has signed the contract for Rs 9.13 billion.

Similarly, Package No. 3 is 10.76 kilometers from Gothgaun of Morang to Itahari Labipur. Engineer Shrestha said that the contract for the package has been signed by Kovec Craig Tundi JV for rs 4.07 billion. According to him, the average progress since the start of the work so far is 25 percent.

Engineer Shrestha said that out of 28 bridges smaller than 300 meters, four bridges and 65 culverts have been completed in the total length of package no. 2 and 3 of 50.76 kilometers. Similarly, nine kilometers of site drain, 15 kilometers of sub-base, four kilometers of base and 2.3 kilometers of blacktopping have been completed.

He said that the work of removing houses and structures within the jurisdiction of the road is going on in the urban areas and the construction company entrusted with the responsibility of shifting the electricity pole of The Nepal Electricity Authority has not been able to achieve the expected progress as the site has not been cleared due to the delay.

Engineer Shrestha said that the lack of soil and river-based construction materials in the recent past has hindered the progress as per the target. He expressed the belief that the construction could be expedited in the coming days if the local government and the state government facilitated in this regard.