Utility Poles Removed in Dang for Ghurahi-Tulsipur Four-Lane Road Construction

Dang. Utility poles have been removed from Gurjekhola to Beljhundi for the construction of the Ghurahi-Tulsipur four-lane road. The work on the four-lane road has been advanced by removing poles in the area falling under the Nepal Electricity Authority's Ghurahi Distribution Center.

The process of removing poles from Sarra in Ghurahi to the Ghurahi market is underway. Bhupendra Bantha, the site in-charge at the Nepal Electricity Authority Distribution Center in Ghurahi, stated that preparations are being made to remove all poles within the Ghurahi operational area in a short time.

“Physical verification is being carried out in the Sarra area, after which we will remove the poles from Sarra to Ghurahi. More than four hundred and fifty poles will need to be removed from Ghurahi to Beljhundi,” he said.

According to Site In-charge Bantha, the Ghurahi distribution area under the four-lane project extends up to Beljhundi in Tulsipur-18. The operational area from Beljhundi to Tulsipur falls under the Tulsipur Distribution Center. More than 300 poles will need to be removed in the Tulsipur area as well. Preparations are underway to remove the poles in the Tulsipur area soon. The road section has both 11 KV and 33 KV lines.

Dipendra Bahadur Bista, Chief of the Division Road Office Dang, stated that the office has already received orders for this. Furthermore, the process to remove 59 trees falling in the middle of the road has also moved forward. He mentioned that the marking (tagging) of those trees has been completed. Chief Bista added that the work of removing the trees will also commence shortly.

Currently, work on constructing retaining walls, culverts, and soil cutting is ongoing for the four-lane section. Shree Diwa-Bandana Bhagwati JV is carrying out the road upgrading work. The agreement was made to construct the four-lane road from Dike Petrol Pump in Ghurahi to Hati Khauwa in Tulsipur, and the work has proceeded accordingly. The road will be paved with asphalt for 21 kilometers and 58 meters, and it will have a four-lane width. He explained that there will be a median in the middle and two lanes on each side.

During the road upgrading, the top layer of the entire asphalt pavement will be removed. After filling the required thickness in the cut areas on both sides, the asphalting work will begin. The contract agreement was made under the Madan Bhandari Road Project, which falls under the Road Improvement Project. However, the responsibility for construction has been given to the Road Division Office, Dang. The width of that road will be 30 meters. The road will be paved using asphalt technology, which involves mixing stone, gravel, and bitumen tar, making the road stronger. Chief Bista of the Road Division Office stated that the contract stipulated completion within 36 months from the date of agreement. The four-lane construction of the road is being undertaken at a cost of Rs 2.2456 billion (excluding VAT) following the agreement made on the 24th of Asar.

The contract for widening this road to four lanes was previously canceled because the construction company failed to perform the work. Following the contract cancellation, the process was initiated from the month of Shrawan, 2081. At that time, based on the financial source consent from the Ministry of Finance and the decision of the National Planning Commission, an agreement was reached for a multi-year contract worth Rs 39.949 million. Accordingly, cost estimations were made by the Madan Bhandari Highway Directorate, and the tender was called on the 1st of Falgun. The process for constructing four-lane bridges over the Sewa Khola, Hapur Khola, Gwar Khola, and Kala Khola falling in the middle of the road has also advanced.