Upgradation Begins on Long-Stalled Section of Kaligandaki Highway in Parbat

Parbat. The upgradation of the Phalebas-Armadi road section, part of the North-South connecting national pride Kaligandaki Highway which had been stalled for a long time, has commenced. The road upgradation from Dhik in Phalebas Municipality-6 to Armadi in Kushma Municipality-4 has started with the support of the Federal Government.

According to the Kaligandaki Highway Project Office, Palpa, the agreement with the contractor company was signed on Kartik 21, and the road upgradation is proceeding rapidly. Navakantipur Mainachuli, Nana JV has secured the contract for road upgradation and blacktopping. Project Engineer Pipul Gautam informed that the agreement was signed for NPR 656,183,128, and the contract stipulates completion within 36 months.

According to him, the road will be constructed as a double lane. Engineer Gautam stated that the 14-kilometer section will be blacktopped to a width of seven meters, with one-meter drains constructed on both the right and left sides, leaving one meter buffer space. He mentioned that work is currently progressing rapidly from the Armadi side.

He added that cutting, drain construction, and the establishment of a crusher industry are currently underway. Although fewer workers are visible because some have returned home due to the elections, he expects the work to gain momentum soon. Gautam stated that the construction entrepreneurs have been instructed to mobilize sufficient manpower and equipment to complete the work by the stipulated deadline.

Although the 33 km road section from Setibeni to Phalebas under the Parbat section of the highway has been blacktopped, the 14 km Phalebas-Armadi section remained stalled for a long time due to contractor delays and the lack of assured budget sources.

The contract for the expansion of this section was signed on Ashar 22, BS 2073, with a completion deadline of Jestha 21, BS 2075, but the work to open the route was only completed in BS 2080. Even after the route was opened, blacktopping could not proceed due to the lack of budget assurance. Engineer Gautam informed that work moved forward after the budget was secured during the tenure of the then Finance Minister Bishnu Poudel and allocated in the current fiscal year.

Previously, NPR 91,749,245 was allocated for this section. That budget was used to open the 14 km track from Dhik in Phalebas-6 to Armadi in Kushma-4. Other works could not be carried out beyond that.

The Parbat section of the Kaligandaki Corridor covers more than 60 km. Under this, the section from Setibeni to Phalebas has been blacktopped, and the work on the 13 km section from Maldhunga to Beni has also been completed. Engineer Gautam stated that the Parbat section will be completed once the remaining 14 km road under the Phalebas-Armadi section is finished. He added that this road, traversing Parbat from north to south, is regarded as a national pride project as well as the lifeline of Parbat.