Daunne section of Mahendra Highway nears completion, Concrete road designed to last at least 30 years

KATHMANDU: Construction of the Daunne section of Nepal’s Mahendra Highway has entered its final stage, with project officials stating that the newly built concrete pavement is designed to last at least 30 years, and up to 40 years if axle-load regulations and engineering standards are properly enforced.

The Daunne section, located along one of Nepal’s busiest and most strategically important national highways, has long been a major bottleneck due to landslides, deteriorating road conditions, and chronic traffic congestion. To provide a long-term solution, the government opted for high-strength concrete pavement instead of conventional asphalt.

According to Chuda Raj Dhakal, Project Director of the Road Department’s Project Directorate (ADB), the road has been engineered to accommodate projected traffic demand for the next three decades.

“We have constructed the concrete pavement with a design life of at least 30 years,” Dhakal said. “If axle-load control is effectively implemented and all design standards are maintained, the road can remain serviceable for 30 to 40 years. This will permanently ease the hardships that commuters and transport operators have endured for years in the Daunne section.”

Built to Handle Future Traffic Growth

The Daunne corridor forms a critical segment of the Mahendra Highway, Nepal’s principal east-west transport artery linking the country’s eastern and western regions.

Project officials said the concrete pavement has been designed to withstand between 12,000 and 20,000 vehicles per day, based on long-term traffic forecasts.

“We designed this structure after assessing projected traffic growth over the next 20 to 30 years. Even if around 20,000 vehicles use the road daily, it has sufficient structural capacity to withstand the load,” Dhakal said.

The pavement has also been built with an axle-load capacity of 10 tonnes per single wheel, enabling it to accommodate increasing freight movement without compromising durability.

Final Construction Work Underway

According to the project office, only about 50 metres of one carriageway beneath the Daunne Temple landslide-prone area remains to be concreted.

One side of the road has already been completed and opened to traffic, allowing vehicles to move through the upgraded section while crews finish the remaining work.

Officials said construction is now in its final phase and the remaining section will be completed soon.

Concrete Chosen for Long-Term Durability

Project authorities explained that concrete pavement was selected because traditional asphalt surfaces in the Daunne section repeatedly deteriorated under heavy traffic, steep gradients, unstable geology, and monsoon conditions.

Frequent repairs on asphalt roads had caused recurring traffic disruptions, long queues, and higher transport costs for businesses and commuters.

Although concrete construction requires higher initial investment, officials said it offers a significantly longer service life, lower maintenance requirements, and better resistance to heavy axle loads, making it more suitable for one of Nepal’s busiest highway corridors.

Expected to End Years of Travel Disruptions

The Daunne section has historically been one of the most troublesome stretches of the Mahendra Highway, with landslides, damaged road surfaces, and repair works causing regular traffic delays, particularly during the monsoon season.

The government expects the upgraded concrete road to substantially reduce annual maintenance closures, improve road safety, lower vehicle operating costs, and ensure smoother movement of passengers and freight along Nepal’s most important national highway.

Once completed, the upgraded Daunne section is expected to strengthen domestic trade, logistics, tourism, and regional connectivity while improving the long-term resilience of the Mahendra Highway, which serves as the backbone of Nepal’s national road transport network.