Construction Intensifies on Dhulikhel-Khawa Section of Arniko Highway; Traffic Restricted at Night

Kavrepalanchok. Vehicle movement has been halted for paving work on the Dhulikhel-Khawa section of the Arniko Highway in Kavrepalanchok. The Division Road Office, Bhaktapur, announced that the road section will be closed for two weeks starting from the first week of Chaitra to expedite the upgrade work.

The Division Road Office stated that the upgrade work has gained momentum after a contract was signed with a new construction company last Kartik to address the road expansion that was stalled for a long time due to the negligence of the previous contractor. Sunam Yogesh, Senior Divisional Engineer and Head of the Office, informed that traffic movement was completely stopped during the night from Chaitra 7 to Chaitra 20 for paving this section.

He mentioned that heavy vehicles, including tippers, were completely restricted during that period. According to him, the target is to pave 2.5 km of the four-kilometer stretch in the month of Chaitra and complete the remaining paving in the following month of Baisakh.

Senior Divisional Engineer Yogesh stated that preparations are underway to install 'CCTV' on the road section. "After that, paving will proceed according to the target," he said. He further informed that cutting work has already begun at various locations after signing a contract with the new construction company last Kartik for the upgrade work that was stalled due to the prolonged negligence of the contractor.

According to the office, the contract was signed with CN Evan Kali JV for NPR 31.56 crore (excluding VAT) to complete the work in 14 months. It is reported that small structures and retaining walls are currently being constructed.

Yogesh explained that the surfacing work on the road was delayed due to the cold weather, and paving will commence as the cold subsides. He added that after the blacktopping work on the road section is finished, slope maintenance and other remaining tasks will be carried out.

Senior Divisional Engineer Yogesh informed that new technology will be employed to manage landslides in various parts of the seven-meter-wide road section. Meanwhile, locals say that travel on the highway has been miserable for the past three years due to construction delays. The office re-invited bids in Shrawan, five months after canceling the old contract.

Yogesh expressed optimism that the new construction company will complete the road on time. The office had canceled the contract with Gauri-Parbati Construction Service, which was responsible for upgrading the road from the district headquarters Dhulikhel to Khawa, citing failure to meet the stipulated deadline. The office canceled the contract with Gauri-Parbati Construction Service, which took responsibility for the upgrade on Baisakh 15, 2081, eleven months after the contract deadline expired.

This section of the Arniko Highway, which serves as a main route to Tatopani, Nepal's northern border with China in Sindhupalchok, and to the neighboring districts of Dolakha, Ramechhap, etc., has forced travelers to endure dust, mud, traffic jams, and the risk of accidents due to delays in construction.

The office has planned to strengthen the road considering the load-bearing capacity of freight vehicles using this section by applying a 20 cm thick cement-mixed base layer over the gravel for the first time in Nepal, followed by two phases of asphalting: DBM and Asphalt concrete.