Six-Lane Expansion of Arniko Highway's Suryabinayak-Dhulikhel Section Gains Momentum

Kavrepalanchok, February 17: The road section of the Arniko Highway, stretching from Suryabinayak in Bhaktapur to Dhulikhel in Kavrepalanchok, is being expanded to six lanes. Although the project, which addresses the heavy traffic burden on the Arniko Highway used by passenger and cargo vehicles traveling to the Eastern Terai region via the Mid-Hill region, started three years late, it is considered a prestigious project for the Mid-Hill region.

This highway expansion has facilitated easier travel for passengers traveling eastward from the federal capital Kathmandu towards the Eastern Mid-Hill region and the shorter route via the BP Highway. It is reported that 65 percent of the work on this 16-kilometer project, which began about three years ago, has been completed.

The road expansion work being carried out by the Suryabinayak-Dhulikhel, Dhulikhel-Sindhuli-Bardibas Road Project is currently gaining pace. Vehicles converging from other highways travel towards the capital in a single direction via Dhulikhel on the Arniko Highway. This is why the expansion of the Suryabinayak-Dhulikhel road section has started bringing convenience to the transportation sector.

The section of the Arniko Highway from its starting point at Koteshwor to Suryabinayak was expanded to six lanes a decade ago. The distance to the East, including the Mid-Hill regions of Bagmati Province and the Eastern Terai via the BP and Pushpalal Highways from the federal capital Kathmandu, is covered through this road. Citizens from Koshi and Madhesh Provinces also travel to Kathmandu via this road using the Arniko Highway.

The expansion work is being carried out to convert this two-lane section of the Arniko Highway into six lanes. Two service lanes on either side of the road and a 2.5-meter footpath are being constructed. After the expansion of this section, traffic management from Suryabinayak to Dhulikhel is expected to become easier, and it is also anticipated to contribute to tourism promotion.

It is stated that once the road expansion work is completed, access to the federal capital Kathmandu from this area will be significantly easier. "The expansion of the Suryabinayak-Dhulikhel road section of the Arniko Highway is a prestigious project," said Ganesh Acharya, Ward Chairman of Dhulikhel Municipality-3. "It is a leap forward in road development outside the capital. Once completed, transportation for the Mid-Hill region and the Eastern Terai will become much easier." The Department of Roads has announced that after the completion of the expansion work on this section, it will proceed with further expansion of the Arniko Highway.

The completion of the Suryabinayak-Dhulikhel road expansion work has brought joy to the residents of Bhaktapur and Kavre. Rajan Manandhar of Banepa says, "In recent years, due to increasing traffic congestion, it used to take one and a half to two hours to reach Kathmandu on this 25-kilometer road. Now, after it becomes six lanes, we will reach in 30 minutes to 45 minutes easily, which is a very happy matter." He expressed confidence that the project will be completed soon as it has intensified construction work by resolving various problems seen on the road.

As the project deadline expired, the upgrade work has been intensified after the deadline was extended by one year in the last week of Mangsir. The deadline for the eight-kilometer Sanga-Dhulikhel road expansion project, which was contracted on Mangsir 27, 2079 BS, was set to expire on Mangsir 25, 2082 BS. Lama Construction Pvt. Ltd. had taken the contract for this road section expansion for Rs 4.0564 billion. The Suryabinayak-Dhulikhel, Dhulikhel-Sindhuli-Bardibas Road Project stated that only 65 percent of the work was completed by that deadline. This means 40 percent of the expansion work remained incomplete when the contract expired as per the agreement.

According to Ravindra Shrestha, the construction manager, 65 percent of the overall work in the Sanga-Dhulikhel section, and 90 percent of the physical progress excluding asphalting, has been completed. So far, about 2 km of road has been asphalted in the Dhulikhel area and about 1 km in the Pulbazar-Janagal area, and asphalting work is being intensified. Earlier, in the third week of last Mangsir, the upgrade work in the Pulbazar area of the Suryabinayak-Dhulikhel road section, which had been halted for a year and a half, was resumed. After a dispute with local residents regarding the 'center line' in the Pulbazar area, an agreement was reached on some issues, allowing the resumption of the upgrade work on the approximately 300-meter road that had been obstructed for a year and a half.

Vijay Kumar Mahato, Project Chief of the Suryabinayak-Dhulikhel Road Project, stated that 60 percent of the work is complete in the Sanga-Dhulikhel first section and 45 percent in the second Suryabinayak-Sanga section. According to him, demolition work is underway in some places in the Suryabinayak-Sanga section.

According to Vishnu Prasad Khanal, an engineer for the project, work is currently being intensified in areas including Janagal, Bansaghari-Budol, Sanga-Bhaisepati, and Banepa Bazaar. According to him, asphalting of the 800-meter length and 10-meter width on the right side towards Banepa in the Pulbazar-Janagal section has been completed, and asphalting of the left lane from Banepa towards Sanga is being prepared.

Currently, in the Bansaghari-Budol area, cutting work is being done on the main lane and gravel is being laid on the service lane. Preparation is underway to install a culvert at Chandani Chowk in Banepa, while wall construction and filling work are ongoing at the Chandeshwari Khola area in Banepa, according to Khanal.

He informed that cutting work is currently being done at Dhunge-dhara in the Sanga-Bhaisepati area. Under the Suryabinayak-Dhulikhel road expansion work, the second section, Suryabinayak-Sanga (7.5 km), was contracted for Rs 3.8893 billion. The deadline for this section's contract also expired last Poush and has since been extended.

This road section is being expanded under two contracts, divided into two sections: Suryabinayak to Sanga, and Sanga to Dhulikhel. The project stated that the delay in the six-lane expansion work, including the main road and service lanes, was due to a lack of budget.

Currently, the work of constructing retaining walls, drainage, and culverts on both sides of the road is in the final stages. It is reported that working has been somewhat difficult in the Sanga area due to a large curve and a deep cliff below during the road construction.

Furthermore, an 'underpass' construction is currently underway at Sanga. The Detailed Project Report (DPR) indicates that while the lanes for going and coming traffic in the problematic 1.5 to 2 km stretch at Sanga will be separated vertically (up/down), the 'service lane' may not be constructible there.

Additional bridges will need to be constructed on this road, and the project estimates the cost for bridges to be Rs 1 billion. According to the study report, three bridges of 20/20 meters will be constructed near the Jagati and Mahadevkhola petrol pumps. The estimated cost per meter for this is stated to be Rs 1.5 million. When the highway was built in 2017 BS, 25-25 yards, or 22.86 meters, was designated on both sides of the road.

In 2021 BS, the government enacted a law that kept this rule for the highway in effect, and houses were built on both sides of the road based on that law.

Meanwhile, the Department of Archaeology has urged for the preservation of archaeological and historical heritage sites located along the Suryabinayak-Dhulikhel road section currently under upgrade. The department has requested the concerned bodies in the two districts, Bhaktapur and Kavrepalanchok, the Department of Roads, and the project to preserve historical heritage sites. The department stated that a Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) has already been conducted in that area and has requested via correspondence that reconstruction be done using traditional construction materials in their original form, strictly following the HIA report.

According to Purushottam Acharya, Museum Officer at the department, it has been requested that the reconstruction of historical heritage sites, including stone water spouts (dhunge-dhara), be carried out in accordance with the Ancient Monuments Act, 2013 (Fifth Amendment), and that the progress made so far be provided to the department. Earlier, the project had reported difficulties in managing eight historical structures falling on the 8.4 km stretch of the Arniko Highway under the Suryabinayak-Dhulikhel road section upgrade. The project details mentioned ponds, temples, wells, Nasika Temple, and stone water spouts on the Sanga-Dhulikhel road section in Kavrepalanchok among these structures.

Two wells and a stone water spout at Bhaisepati, and the Ganesh Temple at Pipaltar in Janagal, are also listed as historical heritage sites. Among these, the Ganesh Temple has already been relocated by locals. The project will now proceed with construction after discussing the alternative 'design' prepared for the preservation, management, and relocation of the eight heritage structures located in seven places with local representatives and leaders. The project has proposed relocating the historical pond at Sanga to near the Nasika Bhagwati Temple or another suitable location, and stated that the temple and wells could also be relocated near the same temple.

Furthermore, there is indecision regarding whether to construct a one-way road after protecting the area around the Nasika Temple. Engineer Khanal of the project stated that locals have suggested preserving the Nasika Temple in its current location due to its significant historical importance.

Locals have consistently requested that the project support the special preservation of the site used for the Bisket Jatra celebrated annually at Sanga, including the pond, temples, water spouts, and wells. The expansion was initiated because traffic jams increased annually due to the narrow road. Vehicle traffic on this highway has increased since the Tatopani border crossing in Sindhupalchok, the shortest route to China, was opened. Currently, more than 1,500 long-distance vehicles depart daily from Koteshwor via this highway.

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