Narayanghat-Butwal Road Expansion Nears Final Stage, Officials Target Completion Before Monsoon

Kathmandu. The Narayanghat-Butwal road expansion project, part of the East-West Highway, has reached its final phase. According to the latest details from the project, the physical progress of the eastern section stands at 80 percent, and the western section at 77 percent.

This road, totaling 114 kilometers in length, is being constructed in two packages: 65 kilometers (eastern section) from Gaindakot in Nawalparasi to Daunne, and 49 kilometers (western section) from Daunne to Butwal. The project has indicated that approximately 30 kilometers of road paving and road marking work remain.

The project, which has faced criticism due to construction delays, has now accelerated its pace. Officials claim that the arduous journey faced by travelers on the Daunne section for years will end as the main work is completed by the end of the next month (Ashadh). Last Friday, a team including the Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Madhav Prasad Chaulagain, inspected the road section. During the inspection, Minister Chaulagain directed that work be completed before the onset of the monsoon.

The project, operating with a loan assistance of NPR 16.99 billion from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), did not face budget constraints. However, the deadline for this 114-kilometer road, started by China State Construction Engineering Corporation Limited in 2075 BS, had to be extended multiple times due to delays in tree felling and the impact of COVID-19. Although the current extended deadline is until August 2083 BS, the project aims to finish the work sooner. After expansion, this road will feature 70 km of four lanes, 29 km of six lanes with service lanes, and 14 km of the Daunne section will have three lanes.

Eastern Section's 80% Work Completed, Main Work Expected by Jestha

Work on the eastern section of the road expansion project (Gaindakot–Daunne) has gained momentum. According to the project, the physical progress of this section has reached approximately 80 percent so far. According to Shiva Khanal, Information Officer and Engineer for the eastern section, the construction of the main structures of the road has passed the main stages. "Our work on the eastern section is about 80 percent complete," Khanal said. "The work on the bridges is almost finished; now only the asphalting and connecting the concrete sections in a few places remain."

The construction of all 34 bridges has been completed, including 12 large and 22 small bridges. Out of the total 65 kilometers length of the eastern section, two-layer asphalting has been completed on 61 kilometers of the road. The remaining section is undergoing asphalting and concrete work. "Two-layer asphalting is done on 61 kilometers out of 65 kilometers," Engineer Khanal stated. "Once one layer of asphalt is laid on about 6 kilometers, the work on all four sides will be complete."

The concrete work, which is being done in market areas and uphill sections of this section, has also reached the final stage. Out of the 4 kilometers requiring concrete, 50 percent, or 2 kilometers, has been completed so far. The target is to complete the remaining 2 kilometers of concrete work by the end of May, or the first week of Jestha.

The project stated that the road's form will completely change and the basic work will be finished once 90 percent of the work is done. "Once 90 percent of the work is done, the road will look fully operational and organized; the remaining 10 percent will be for maintenance and finishing," Khanal added.

77% Physical Progress in Western Section: Daunne Issue to be Resolved by Jestha

The physical progress of the western section (Daunne–Butwal) of the Narayanghat–Butwal road expansion, part of the East-West Highway, has reached 77 percent. According to the project's Information Officer and Engineer, Bikash Khanal, the road expansion work has gained momentum.

Engineer Khanal informed Ratopati that the project's financial progress is 70 percent, and 77 percent of the physical work has been completed. According to him, the concrete paving (rigid pavement) work on this 60-kilometer section is about half complete. Concrete work remains for about 25 to 27 kilometers.

Special priority has been given to the work on the Daunne section, where travelers have faced the most hardship. Engineer Khanal said, "The target of the contractor is to complete the concrete work in Daunne by the end of Baisakh (April) and complete all work on the Daunne section and fully open the road by the end of Jestha (May)."

All nine major bridges under the project have been completed. Of the 34 minor bridges, all except one in Bardaghat have been finished. Furthermore, 251 out of 253 culverts in this section have been completed, with the remaining 2 culverts under construction in the Daunne area.

The project's deadline is until August 5 (Shrawan 5). Preparations are underway to hand over the road after completing all work within that deadline. Currently, road marking, signboard installation, and asphalting of the service lane are in progress.

Considering traffic volume and work targets, work is currently ongoing until 8 PM. Khanal stated that health and safety standards are being observed as it is an ADB project. He mentioned that if the pace of work needs to be increased, there is an option to work overnight using floodlights, but the contractor believes the work can be finished within the deadline at the current pace.

The project is confident that travelers will be able to travel on a smooth and convenient road in areas like Daunne starting from Shrawan, once the main infrastructure work is completed by Jestha.