Prithvi Highway closed 4.5 hours daily starting today

KATHMANDU: The Chirkane-Deurali section of the Prithvi Highway, under Byas Municipality-12 in Tanahun, will remain closed for four and a half hours daily for 20 days, starting Monday.

The closure is aimed at expediting construction work on the Muglin-Pokhara road.

According to Bishnu Prasad Pandey, an engineer for the Muglin-Pokhara Road Project (Eastern Section), the road will be closed in two phases.

The first phase will see a complete closure from 11:00 PM to 1:00 AM, followed by a 30-minute window for vehicular movement.

The second phase will begin at 1:30 AM and continue until 4:00 AM. In emergencies, special arrangements will be made to allow vehicle passage.

Drivers are urged to maintain strict lane discipline and avoid overtaking in queues during the road closure period.

So far, 68% of the work on the eastern section of the Muglin-Pokhara road has been completed. The project has finished constructing 14 small bridges, two large bridges, and 103 culverts.

Construction of a bridge over the Madi River, connecting Byas Municipality Wards 4 and 5, is 45% complete.

The eastern section’s contract was awarded to China Communication Construction Company, with work commencing on April 15, 2021, following an agreement signed on Jan 30, 2021.