Progress and Challenges in East-West Highway Expansion Across Nepal

Kathmandu. The East-West Highway (Mahendra Highway), considered the 'lifeline' of the country's transportation, is undergoing expansion in various sections. This two-lane highway is being expanded to six lanes with service lanes in urban areas and four lanes in areas with less forest cover and traffic congestion.

This ambitious project is being implemented with loan and grant assistance from various development partners, including the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the World Bank, under the South Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) program, adhering to Asian Highway standards.

Paving and bridge construction have gained momentum in sections from Kakarbhitta to Pathlaiya, and wildlife-friendly infrastructure (elephant underpasses) is also being constructed. However, challenges such as contractors' cash flow problems, delays in relocating electric poles and cutting trees, and lack of coordination with local levels are hindering expected progress in some sections.

Kakarbhitta dash;Laukahi Eastern Section: 13 km Paved

The upgradation work on the Kakarbhitta dash;Laukahi section of the East-West Highway has accelerated. Out of the total 95.76 km expansion plan, 13.25 km of one-way paving (DBM) has been completed in the eastern section (45 km west of Kakarbhitta).

According to Sunil Babu Pant, Project Chief of the Kakarbhitta dash;Laukahi Road Project, Eastern Section, the physical progress is currently 36 percent for road expansion and 25 percent for bridge construction. Pant informed that the work is proceeding with the target of completing the first layer of paving (DBM) on both sides for 30 km out of the 45 km section by the end of Ashad of the current fiscal year.

The project, estimated to cost a total of US$300 million, is being built with 84.1 percent loan assistance from the ADB and 15.9 percent investment from the Government of Nepal. The project is divided into five packages, with the 45 km eastern section being overseen by the Damak office. The construction, which began in February 2024 following an agreement in October 2023, has a duration of three years.

The road, currently two lanes, is being expanded to four lanes. There will be a three-meter divider in the middle of the road, with 10-meter paving on both sides. The road structure will be wider in urban areas. According to Project Chief Pant, a 6.5-meter 'service lane' will be added on the right and left in urban areas, making the road a total of eight lanes. Similarly, in semi-urban areas, the road will have 6 lanes with a 3.5-meter service lane.

Many small and large bridges and culverts are being constructed on this section. The eastern section alone has 19 bridges and 152 culverts. A special feature of this project is the 15-meter span 'Elephant Underpass', which is expected to facilitate wildlife movement and reduce accidents. Additionally, the construction of large bridges longer than 300 meters is being carried out through a separate package.

The project, estimated to cost a total of US$300 million, is being built with 84.1 percent loan assistance from the ADB and 15.9 percent investment from the Government of Nepal. The project is divided into five packages, with the 45 km eastern section being overseen by the Damak office. The construction, which began in February 2024 following an agreement in October 2023, has a duration of three years.

Although construction work has gained momentum, relocating electric poles, water pipes, and telecom wires within the road boundary has emerged as a major challenge. According to Project Chief Pant, out of the total 13,000 trees to be cut along the 120 km project, 4,723 trees were in the eastern section alone. He stated that work is proceeding under the condition of planting and nurturing ten times the number of trees cut, with approval from the Forest Department.

The project office stated that the main construction works will be completed within the stipulated time if construction materials are available and the weather is favorable.

Kakarbhitta dash;Laukahi Western Section: 32 Percent Progress

The expansion work on the western section of the Kakarbhitta dash;Laukahi road project of the East-West Highway has intensified. According to Jagat Prajapati, Chief of the Project Office in Itahari, the physical progress of the western section of the project has reached 32 percent so far.

Construction work on this section, which is 50.76 km long, started two years ago (February 2024). The total cost of this project, targeted for completion by February 2027, is approximately 18 billion Nepali Rupees including VAT.

The main attractions of this road section will be the 'Vehicular Underpasses' and Overpasses to be built in urban areas. Project Chief Prajapati informed that a total of seven overpasses will be constructed, three in Damak and four in Itahari.

Fourteen 'Pedestrian Underpasses' will also be constructed on the right and left sides of these overpasses for pedestrians. Prajapati stated, "Currently, the construction of two overpasses and four pedestrian underpasses in the Damak area has been completed, while other structures are under construction."

So far, the first layer of paving (DBM) for 15 km of the road on one side (double lane) has been completed. The project aims to achieve 60 percent physical progress by the end of Ashad of the current fiscal year. He mentioned, "Since the weather is suitable for paving now, the pitching work is happening daily; significant progress will be visible by Ashad."

Under the road expansion, a 24-meter wide road is being constructed in the forest area and a 50-meter wide road with footpaths in the market area. Three large bridges—Ratuwa, Bakraha, and Lohendra—along with 14 other small bridges are under construction in this section. The physical progress of the bridges alone has reached about 35 percent.

The demand for construction materials is high as this is a nationally transformative project. The project stated that coordinating with local levels regarding the quality and availability of river-based materials coming from areas like Letang is a challenge. Project Chief Prajapati informed that although work is ongoing, regular discussions are being held with consultants and construction entrepreneurs to make it more effective despite managerial difficulties.

The relocation of electric poles has been the main obstruction during project construction. Out of approximately 2,300 poles in this section, only 570 (about 30 percent) have been relocated so far. Prajapati stated that work in the market area is delayed because the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has not relocated the poles on time.

"The forest issue has been resolved, and structures have been mostly removed, but it is somewhat difficult to maintain the expected pace due to electric poles and traffic management in the market area," he said.

The demand for construction materials is high as this is a nationally transformative project. The project stated that coordinating with local levels regarding the quality and availability of river-based materials coming from areas like Letang is a challenge. Project Chief Prajapati informed that although work is ongoing, regular discussions are being held with consultants and construction entrepreneurs to make it more effective despite managerial difficulties.

Kanchanpur dash;Kamala Road Eastern Section: 66 Percent Physical Progress

Work on the eastern section of the Kanchanpur dash;Kamala Road Project has achieved significant progress. This section currently shows 66.90 percent physical progress and 61.47 percent financial progress. According to Project Chief Niraj Shakya, the construction work on this section is moving forward rapidly. The 39.42 km road section from Kanchanpur to Kushaha is being constructed under a contract worth 7.27 billion Nepali Rupees. Paving for a total of 46 km on both sides of the two-lane road has been completed, with an additional 33 km of paving remaining.

Under the project, 29 bridges and 113 culverts have been completed. Similarly, the construction of two underpasses (paths built to cross under the road) in Rupani has also been finished. This project started on Kartik 13, 2077 BS. Although it was initially targeted for completion in three years, the deadline has been extended for the third time due to various reasons, setting the completion date for Ashad 16, 2083 BS.

Kanchanpur dash;Kamala Road Western Section: Work Halted After 70 Percent Progress

Work on the western section of the Kanchanpur dash;Kamala Road expansion project has stopped after reaching 70 percent physical progress. The future of the project has become uncertain after the Chinese company responsible for construction halted work, citing 'cash flow' problems.

In this 47 km long section, four-lane paving has been completed on 34 km of the road so far. The project stated that one-way (two-lane) paving has been done on the remaining 13 km, and vehicles are currently using the new track.

According to Project Office Chief Ujjwal Shrestha, the suppliers have closed the site gates because the Chinese contractor could not pay local suppliers and workers. Shrestha said, "The pace of work has been very slow since last month, and now it is almost completely stopped. This situation arose after the contractor stopped payments saying they have no money."

In this 47 km long section, four-lane paving has been completed on 34 km of the road so far. The project stated that one-way (two-lane) paving has been done on the remaining 13 km, and vehicles are currently using the new track.

Out of a total of 25 bridges to be constructed under the project, the structures for 24 have been completed and opened to traffic. Shrestha informed that only railing and final finishing work remain on one side of the bridges.

Six 'Vehicular Overpasses' are under construction on this section, with the main structure of five completed, while one overpass in Lahan is under construction. However, the work on the 'Approach Road' (RE Wall) connecting those overpasses to the road has not progressed due to budget constraints. According to Shrestha, the contractor has not prepared sufficient 'RE Panels' either.

This project, which started on October 29, 2020, has now entered its seventh year. Although the target was to complete it in three years, the deadline has been extended three times so far. The latest extension is until July 15, 2026.

According to Project Chief Rajeshkumar Das, this project, targeted for completion within three years, is currently running 3 dash;4 months behind schedule. Delays in tree cutting in the forest area and relocating electric poles have resulted in low progress in this project, which should be completed by December 2027.

Shrestha stated that the main reasons for the project delay were COVID-19 in the initial years, followed by a lack of coordination between local levels and the Forest Office. "Work was halted for almost a year due to a dispute between Lahan Municipality and the Forest Office regarding the excavation of river materials," he said. "Incidents such as the arrest and action against Chinese employees at that time also affected the work."

After the work stopped, the Department of Roads wrote to the headquarters of the Chinese company, demanding the reason for the work stoppage and the future work plan. While only about four months appear effective to complete the remaining work, the absence of responsible officials from the contractor company has increased skepticism about the project's completion. Furthermore, the project stated that out of 683 electric poles, 22 remain to be removed. Similarly, 7 out of 37 transformers remain, and 1,086 trees have been cut.

Kamala dash;Dhalkebar dash;Pathlaiya Eastern Section: Only 20 Percent Progress in 13 Months

Work on the eastern section (Kamala dash;Bagmati) of the Kamala dash;Dhalkebar dash;Pathlaiya road expansion project appears slow. Only 20 percent physical progress has been achieved in the project, even after 13 months since the contract agreement.

According to Project Chief Rajeshkumar Das, this project, targeted for completion within three years, is currently running 3 dash;4 months behind schedule. Delays in tree cutting in the forest area and relocating electric poles have resulted in low progress in this project, which should be completed by December 2027.

Project Chief Das stated that the inability to relocate electric poles on time is the main reason for the delay. "Out of a total of 2,241 poles to be removed in this section, only 650 have been removed so far," he said. "Work is hampered because the NEA has installed new poles but has not removed the old poles and wires."

Similarly, 99 percent of the work for cutting 11,577 trees that needed to be felled has been completed. The project stated that the initial phase of work was delayed because the tree-cutting process is very long and complex.

Although the estimated cost of this project, operated with loan assistance from the World Bank, is 32 billion Nepali Rupees, construction entrepreneurs have secured the contracts at 35 to 40 percent less (low bidding). Das mentioned that there is a challenge to work for such a low amount in this project, where the contract agreement was signed for a total of 19 billion Nepali Rupees.

This road expansion has been divided into three sections. One section is being worked on by an Indian contractor, and the remaining two sections are being handled by a joint venture (JV) of Nepali and Chinese construction companies. In this 77 km long section, 35 large bridges and 145 small bridges (culverts) need to be constructed.

The total duration of the project is 9 years. Accordingly, the road expansion and construction work must be completed within the first three years, while the construction entrepreneur must maintain the road for the remaining 6 years. According to Project Chief Das, about 1,000 workers and around 300 machines are mobilized in the field. He said, "Although the work appears to be in full swing from the outside as it is a mega project, technically, we need to work much harder to meet the target." He added, "Since taking a shutdown is required for relocating electric poles and work is only permitted during holidays, coordination with the NEA is expected to take some more time."

Kamala dash;Dhalkebar dash;Pathlaiya Western Section: Contract Agreement Pending

This road expansion project is set to operate with loan assistance from the World Bank. After the Department evaluates the bids, it needs to obtain a 'No Objection' from the World Bank for final approval. The target is to finalize the contract agreement within the current fiscal year and start work within a few months.

The work on the western section of the Kamala dash;Dhalkebar dash;Pathlaiya road expansion project is expected to gain momentum. The bid evaluation for the western section (53 km) of this road project is currently underway, and the construction process will begin soon.

According to Chhabilal Poudel, Chief of the Western Section of the Kamala dash;Dhalkebar dash;Pathlaiya Road Project, the evaluation of the bids submitted by construction entrepreneurs is currently being done at the Department of Roads. The contract signing process will proceed immediately after this process is completed.

Initially, this road section was planned to be constructed under the 'Hybrid Annuity' model. Poudel informed that the process was slightly delayed because legal clarity and amendment of the act were required to work under this model, which is a form of Public-Private Partnership (PPP). "Since the law needed to be amended for the hybrid model, we have moved forward with the traditional bidding process," he said.

This 53 km long section falls in Rautahat and Bara districts. During the road expansion, some parts of Parsa National Park will also be covered, requiring the cutting of about 24,000 trees. Project Chief Poudel stated that the process for tree cutting has been initiated in coordination with the Forest Department. Furthermore, the cost estimation is being prepared in coordination with the Electricity Authority to relocate electric poles falling within the road area.

This road expansion project is set to operate with loan assistance from the World Bank. After the Department evaluates the bids, it needs to obtain a 'No Objection' from the World Bank for final approval. The target is to finalize the contract agreement within the current fiscal year and start work within a few months. The provision is that the road expansion work must be completed within three years from the start of construction. Poudel clarified that the work currently underway in the field belongs to the 'Eastern Section' (Kamala dash;Bardibas), and the work on the western section will only begin after the contract agreement is signed. Photo: Manoj Khadka