Seti River Bridge Construction Extended to February 2027

Kaski. The deadline for the Seti River bridge being constructed at Prithichowk, Pokhara, on the Prithvi Highway has been extended for the second time. The deadline for this bridge, being constructed under the western section of the Muglin-Pokhara road project, has been extended until February 2027 (Baisakh 21, 2083 BS).

A contract was signed on September 12, 2022 (Bhadra 26, 2079 BS) for the construction of two concrete bridges, 190 meters each, upstream and downstream of the current Seti bridge, at a cost of NPR 1.07 billion.

Although the contract with MS Rasuwa Construction Company Pvt. Ltd. stipulated completion within three years, the deadline was extended for the first time last September after the work was not completed. The bridge is being constructed under the Department of Roads with loan assistance from the Asian Development Bank.

Krishna Bahadur Kunwar, Project Chief of the Muglin Pokhara Road Project West Section, stated that the physical progress of the bridge is currently around 61 percent. According to him, with no further obstacles to the construction work, the construction company will expedite the work and complete it within the stipulated deadline.

Two houses on the north side of the Seti River, belonging to landowners and businessmen including Karwa, had to be demolished to provide road access from the road according to the Asian Development Bank's policy. However, it is said that the delay was caused by disagreements over compensation and resettlement for the landowners. Project Chief Kunwar stated that recently, two landowners, Kedar Poudel and Madhav Poudel, have received compensation and have committed to vacating the structures by the first week of June.

The construction company had cited delays in receiving materials from China and problems such as the relocation of water pipes as reasons for the delay. "The landowners were not satisfied with the compensation and were unwilling to accept the amount determined by the administration, which also obstructed the work. A few days ago, they received the compensation. There are no more problems on site, and the work will not be stopped," Kunwar said.

So far, 120 pile foundations for the Seti bridge have been completed, along with pile caps and four towers. Additionally, the girder and cross girder work on one bridge has been completed.