Kathmandu. The upgrading of the first section of the Suryabinayak-Dhulikhel section of the Araniko Highway has been expedited. The up-gradation work has been expedited after the deadline expired in the last week of November and another year was extended.

The contract for the expansion of the 8-km Sanga-Dhulikhel road was signed on December 11, 2022 and the deadline for the project expired on December 10, 2082. Lama Construction had been awarded the contract for the expansion of the road at a cost of Rs 4.05 billion.

According to the project, only 60 per cent of the construction works of Suryabinayak-Dhulikhel, Dhulikhel-Sindhuli-Bardibas road have been completed. As per the agreement, 40 percent of the expansion works are incomplete at the end of the deadline.

According to Rabindra Shrestha, manager of the construction works, 60 per cent of the construction work has been completed while 90 per cent of the physical progress except the pitch has been completed. So far, around one kilometer road in Dhulikhel area and one kilometer road in Pul Bazaar-Janagal area has been blacktopped.

Earlier, the upgradation work of the Suryabinayak-Dhulikhel road section, which had been halted for the past one and half years, was started in the Palubazar area. It was agreed to resume the up-gradation of around 300 meters of the road, which has been stalled for the past one and a half years following a dispute between the locals over the issue of ‘center line’ in the Pul Bazaar area.

According to project chief Bijay Kumar Mahato, 60 per cent of the first section of the Sanga-Dhulikhel Road Project has been completed while 45 per cent of the work has been completed on the second Suryabinayak-Sanga road.

According to him, the process of demolishing some places along the Suryabinayak-Sanga section is underway. Project Engineer Bishnu Prasad Khanal said the construction works have been expedited in Janagal, Bansghari-Budol, Sanga-Bhaisepati, Banepa Bazaar, among other areas. According to him, 800 meters long and 10 meters width of the right side of the Pulbazaar-Janagal area has been blacktopped.

Similarly, work is underway to lay gravel in the main lane and service lane in the Bansghari-Budol area. According to Khanal, preparations are underway to install a culvert at Chandani Chowk of Banepa while the work of constructing a wall and filling is going on in Chandeshwori River area of Banepa. He said that cutting work is currently underway at the stone spout in the Sanga-Bhaisepati area.

A contract was awarded for the 7.5-km Suryabinayak-Sanga section of the second section at a cost of Rs 3.88 billion. The contract of the section is also expiring on January 3. The six-lane expansion has been started after the traffic congestion increased every year due to the narrow road.