Fiscal Nepal
First Business News Portal in English from Nepal
KATHMANDU: The expansion of the Suryabinayak–Dhulikhel road section has reached 50 percent progress, with Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Physical Infrastructure and Transport, and Urban Development Kulman Ghising urging authorities to accelerate the pace of work as the current weather remains highly favorable for construction.
According to project officials, the 15.8-kilometer Araniko Highway segment from Bhaktapur’s Suryabinayak to Kavrepalanchok’s Dhulikhel is being widened into six lanes under two separate contract packages.
Suryabinayak–Sanga (8.3 km) section has achieved 45% progress.
Sanga–Dhulikhel (7.5 km) section has achieved 55% progress.
Both packages are currently moving ahead at full speed.
Minister Ghising Conducts On-Site Inspection
Minister Kulman Ghising inspected the project area on Thursday, reviewing construction updates and discussing obstacles with the Director General of the Department of Roads, project chiefs, and contractors.
He emphasized that the ongoing dry season provides an ideal window for rapid progress and instructed the project to mobilize additional workforce and machinery to ensure completion by the end of Ashad next year.
Ghising also directed officials to immediately settle any pending decisions at the project level and confirmed that the Ministry of Finance has already expressed funding commitment, ensuring no shortage of budget for the remaining work.
Delays Due to Land Disputes and Budget Gaps
The highway expansion had earlier been hampered by:
Road boundary disputes
Delays in removing structures
Budget shortages
For the current fiscal year, the government allocated only Rs 70 crore, while the project has requested an additional Rs 4 billion to complete the remaining work.
Coordination Sought with Banepa Municipality
To address right-of-way issues inside urban settlements, Minister Ghising also held discussions with the Mayor of Banepa Municipality, seeking municipal cooperation to resolve the bottlenecks in the Banepa market area where road widening has been facing resistance and logistical challenges.
Package-Wise Progress
Project data indicate that:
Construction of retaining walls and drainage systems under the second package has reached 95% completion.
Approximately 2 kilometers of the Sanga–Dhulikhel stretch have already been blacktopped.
Officials say that with uninterrupted work during the favorable season, the remaining tasks—including pavement layers, road furniture, drainage finishing, and blacktopping—can be pushed forward rapidly.
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