Narayangadh-Butwal Road Expansion Project Enhances Safety on Completed Sections

Nawalpurasi. Road safety work has begun in areas where road construction has been completed under the Narayangadh-Butwal Road Expansion Project. According to Shiva Khanal, information officer for the eastern section, road safety-related work is currently underway in the completed sections of the eastern part.

Road safety measures include painting white and yellow lines on the road, coloring the central divider, installing cement barriers between the main and auxiliary roads, and fitting speed limit signs. Additionally, work is ongoing to install railings along the roadside, W-beams, and delineator poles.

Information officer Khanal stated that with the road construction nearing its final stages, priority has also been given to road safety work. He said, "Most of the road construction work is moving towards the final phase, and we have advanced the road safety work accordingly."

According to information officer Khanal, out of the 65 kilometers of road in the Nawalpurasi eastern section, only about seven kilometers currently require travel on unpaved roads. All other areas have been paved and opened for traffic. He informed that the physical progress in the eastern section has reached 81 percent. Travel is now easier in the eastern section except for the Daunne area.

The Narayangadh-Butwal Road Expansion Project was initiated by China State Construction Corporation Pvt. Ltd. with an agreement signed on Magh 24, 2075 BS, and a target completion date of Saun 22, 2079 BS. The work is being carried out by dividing the total 113 kilometers of road into two sections.

As the work was not completed within the stipulated time, the deadline has now been extended for the fourth time until next Saun. The total cost for both sections of this road expansion project, funded by a loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), is Rs 16 Arba 99 Crore 52 Lakh 96 Thousand.

Out of the total 113 kilometers, 70 kilometers will have four lanes, and 29 kilometers will have four lanes with service lanes of six to six meters on both sides. A three-lane road will be constructed in the 14-kilometer Daunne section.