Baglung's Kathekhola-Resh Road Finally Blacktopped After Five-Year Delay

BAGLUNG: The road connecting the center of Kathekhola Rural Municipality to Resh, which had been in a dilapidated state for a long time, has finally been blacktopped. The project, which was scheduled to be completed in two years, took five years to finish. This marks the first long-stretch blacktopped road within the rural municipality.

The four-kilometer road to Resh in Kathekhola Rural Municipality-7 was initially contracted to be completed within two years, but it took five years to reach completion. The blacktopping has brought significant relief to commuters traveling to Resh. Although the project began as a partnership between the federal government and the rural municipality, delays forced the rural municipality to cover the costs to ensure completion.

Kathekhola Rural Municipality Chairman Raju Thapa stated that this is the most expensive road project undertaken by the municipality. In Jestha 2077, a contract worth Rs 67.1 million was signed to blacktop and pave the four-kilometer stretch within two years; however, due to delays, the deadline was extended six times.

Chairman Thapa noted that the road was completed after the municipality took ownership of the project. Despite the federal government's initial partnership, the municipality invested Rs 40 million to finalize the construction after the contractor failed to meet the timeline. The road, which was plagued by mud in the monsoon and dust in the winter, now allows travelers to reach Resh from the rural municipality center in just 15 minutes.