Arniko Highway Expansion Project Faces Delays

Kathmandu. The expansion work of the Suryabinayak-Dhulikhel road section under the Arniko Highway has not yet been fully completed. The work to expand the 16-kilometer-long road, which started three years ago, is still ongoing, causing daily commuters, local residents, and businessmen to suffer from dust, mud, and traffic jams.

This road section, stretching from Suryabinayak in Bhaktapur to Dhulikhel in Kavrepalanchok, is being constructed in two packages. The first package is Suryabinayak-Sanga, and the second is Sanga-Dhulikhel. According to the project, the overall physical progress has reached approximately 70 percent. A few months ago, this progress was 67 percent, and before that, it was only around 50 percent.

The project has intensified the work of constructing the main road, service lanes, drains, bridges, culverts, and underpasses. The underpass being constructed in the Sanga area has become the main attraction of the project. Once the underpass is completed, it is expected to ease the management of vehicle flow entering Kathmandu from the eastern gateway.

However, the pace of construction has not progressed as expected. The project has been repeatedly affected by reasons such as a shortage of construction materials, price hikes, work being hampered during the monsoon, and delays in moving electric poles and water pipes. The project had aimed to complete the work within 36 months as per the initial agreement. However, the possibility of completing the work within the stipulated time appears slim.

Currently, road expansion, blacktopping, and service lane construction are underway simultaneously in areas like Suryabinayak, Jagati, Thimi, Nalinchok, Sanga, and Banepa. While some sections have been blacktopped, making the road look neat, in many places, the road has been dug up and left incomplete, causing hardship to travelers. Complaints have also been received about health problems among local residents due to dust. Locals say that the problem of mud during rain and dust during sunshine becomes extreme.

Once the road expansion is completed, it is believed that transportation between the Kathmandu Valley and eastern Nepal will become easier. This road section, through which thousands of vehicles pass daily, is considered extremely important for trade, tourism, and connectivity with the eastern districts. After the expansion, it is expected that traffic congestion will decrease and travel time will be reduced.

The project has stated that it aims to complete blacktopping in some more sections within the next month. However, due to the slow pace of construction, traffic management challenges, and budget management, the public will have to endure hardship for some more time. Photo: Suryams Upreti/Nepal Photo Library