Delays stall Kathmandu Ring Road expansion project

Kathmandu. Despite a long-standing agreement between Nepal and China for the expansion of the second section of the capital's Ring Road (Kalanki-Maharajgunj), work has yet to progress.

 With construction yet to commence, local residents have been forced to endure muddy conditions during the monsoon and dust pollution throughout the winter for a long time.

An agreement for this section's expansion was signed back in 2075 BS. The memorandum of understanding regarding cooperation in road expansion, signed between representatives of the two countries, covered the 8.2-kilometer-long Kalanki-Maharajgunj section.

The commitment to implement the second phase of the Kathmandu Ring Road Improvement Project was also reiterated in a 12-point joint statement issued between Nepal and China during the high-level visit of then-Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. 

While work on the service lane from Kalanki to Maharajgunj has recently begun, the expansion of the main road has yet to gain momentum.