Kavrepalanchok. The blacktopping has begun at Janagal-Bhaisepati section of Kavrepalanchowk along the Suryabinayak-Dhulikhel road section of the Araniko Highway. The blacktopping of the road section has begun at Janagal area of Banepa municipality-10.

According to the Suryabinayak-Dhulikhel, Dhulikhel-Sindhuli-Bardibas road project, blacktopping has begun in August after completing the work of CCTB. Earlier, the expansion was halted in June and July due to monsoon. Bishnu Prasad Khanal, an engineer at the project, said that the blacktopping started from Jangal to Bhaisepati. According to him, the blacktopping will be continued after the work of CTB towards Sanga.

Work at Pulbazar area of Banepa has come to a standstill for the past six months due to obstruction by locals. Around 200 meters of the area was obstructed by the locals over the issue of ‘centre line’. It is said that the construction work was being carried out on 140 feet of the 75 feet (150 feet) section in the middle of the road.

Currently, sewerage is being constructed on around one kilometer road from Chandeshwori Khola in the eastern part of Banepa to Banepa Chardobato. Khanal said that apart from Pulbazar, works are being carried out in small sections from Suryabinayak to Dhulikhel. Currently, the road has been paved in one kilometer area, the work of wall, drain and pavement has been completed and preparations are underway to blacktop the road towards Banepa within a few days.

Similarly, the six-lane expansion of the Araniko Highway from Suryabinayak of Bhaktapur to Dhulikhel of Kavrepalanchowk has been delayed on time. The project will not be completed in the remaining four months.

The 16-kilometer-long road that began on January 9, 2022 was targeted to be completed within 36 months. The road section from Suryabinayak to Sanga and Sanga to Dhulikhel has been divided into two sections.

Of the two sections, 40 per cent of Suryabinayak-Sanga section and 50 per cent of Sanga-Dhulikhel section has been completed. The Sanga-Dhulikhel section has been delayed due to the dispute over individual houses including bridges in the urban area of Banepa and the failure to demolish the houses within the criteria.

A contract of Rs 4.05 billion was signed for the expansion of 8.4 km Sanga-Dhulikhel road section in the first phase and Rs 3.88 billion for the expansion of the Suryabinayak-Sanga road section in the second phase.