Construction delays leave Dhulikhel-Khawa road hazardous

Kathmandu, September 14 —The 4-kilometer stretch of the Dhulikhel-Khawa road section on the Araniko Highway is causing significant inconvenience for commuters. The road becomes dusty in the sun and muddy when it rains, which has become a defining feature of this stretch. Additionally, potholes and frequent landslides further complicate travel on this route.

Due to delays in construction and lack of maintenance by the relevant authorities, local residents have been enduring dust and mud for years. The road division office in Bhaktapur has stated that due to negligence by the construction company, Gauriparbati Construction Service based in Kathmandu, the road remains in a dilapidated state, especially during the rainy season, despite efforts to close the road intermittently to complete the work. However, the project remains incomplete.

The Dhulikhel-Khawa road is a major commercial route connecting Kathmandu to Kavrepalanchok, Sindhupalchok, Dolakha, Ramechhap, and the Chinese market in Khasa. This stretch of road has been deteriorating for years and was supposed to be upgraded and blacktopped to a width of 12 meters.

To accommodate the load of cargo vehicles, the road division office planned to use a 20-centimeter thick cement-mixed base over gravel, followed by two layers of blacktop – DBM and asphalt – a method being implemented for the first time in Nepal. A budget of NPR 201,946,500 was allocated for this project.

The deadline for completing this stretch was March 19 of the previous year. Although the construction was extended by a few months, only 20 percent of the work has been completed so far. The road division office and the construction company had agreed on a 22-month deadline, ending on March 19 of this year, for upgrading and expanding the road.

It has been over two and a half years since the construction began, and the road remains largely unchanged. Hotels and businesses along the road have become deserted or have closed down completely.

Photos: Nepal Photo Library