Slow progress on 45-Km upgrade of East-West Highway

KATHMANDU: The ongoing upgrade work of the 45-kilometer eastern section of the East-West Highway, part of the Asian Highway network, from Kakarbhitta to Padajung is progressing at a slow pace.

Under the assistance of the Asian Development Bank, the Road Department’s Project Directorate is overseeing the work to upgrade the road as part of the Asian Highway.

The contract for the construction has been awarded to the Abraskan Kalika JV. According to Sunilbabu Panta, the Project Chief of the Kakarbhitta–Laukahi road plan (eastern section) in the Damak office, the progress of the road upgrade is only 15% so far.

He stated that, based on the construction timeline, the progress should have been at least 20% by this point.

The Abraskan Kalika JV signed an agreement with the government on the 2nd of Kartik, 2080, with the completion of the construction work expected by the 19th of Magh, 2083.

Panta mentioned that the construction company has been instructed to speed up the work and meet the target. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli formally inaugurated the road in Kamal Gaun, Padajung on the 9th of Jestha, 2081.

In the first year of the construction agreement, only 12% of the work was completed. If significant progress is not made this year, it will be difficult to complete the project within the next 10 months. “Currently, the weather is favorable for work,” said Pant, emphasizing the need for the Abraskan Kalika JV to increase the pace of work. “The construction company has not been working at the required speed. We are pressuring them.”

Work on culverts, bridges, and soil filling is currently ongoing. Out of 143 culverts, 93 have been completed. Regarding small bridges, 17 out of 18 are under construction.

The company is also using modern equipment for the construction. However, the progress on bridge construction is still only 13%.

The contract for the road, including the culverts and small bridges, has been awarded for Rs 34.9 billion with the support of the Asian Development Bank and the Government of Nepal.

The contracts for the construction of the Konka, Biring, and Nindakholaka bridges have been awarded to a different company.

Given that working becomes challenging during the monsoon season, instructions have been given to speed up the progress before the rains.

Panta  emphasized that the target for the current fiscal year is to complete at least 10 kilometers of the highway’s blacktop.

In the Charali Jungle area, the construction of an ‘Elephant Underpass’ is also progressing rapidly, as reported by the project.

In accordance with the government’s wildlife-friendly infrastructure standards, the Elephant Underpass is being built with a height of 6.5 meters and a length of 15 meters.

The underpass will be about 1.5 meters taller than the road under construction.