Arniko Highway Road Upgrade Faces Delays Due to Material Shortage

Kavrepalanchok. The upgrade and blacktopping work on the Dhulikhel-Khawa section of the Arniko Highway has reached its final stage, but the work has been affected by a shortage of construction materials in recent times. Local residents and travelers, who have been facing dust, mud, and traffic jam problems for a long time, are waiting for the road construction to be completed, but the pace of construction has slowed down in the past few weeks.

According to the Road Division Office, Bhaktapur, the blacktopping work started from Dhulikhel Chowk. Out of the approximately 4 km long road section, 2.5 km has been blacktopped, and the remaining 1.5 km section will be blacktopped under the second phase.

Earlier, on Jestha 20, 2079, a construction company had received the contract to complete the construction within 22 months. However, as the work could not be completed even after 11 months of the scheduled time, the Road Division Office, Bhaktapur, canceled the contract on Falgun 25, 2081.

After that, the government of Nepal secured a budget of 42 crore rupees, and a new tender was called in August with the target of completing the construction within 14 months. The construction company that won the new contract had aimed to complete the road's blacktopping before the monsoon.

According to the construction company, a 20 cm thick cement-mixed base was laid on the gravel, followed by two layers of blacktopping with DBM and asphalt. So far, the base, sub-base, and the first layer of blacktopping have been completed on most parts of the road.

Blacktopping has been done on the main section from Dhulikhel market area to around Khawa, while the final layer of blacktopping, road-side management, drain construction, and lane marking work remain in some places. However, the final stage of work has been affected by problems in the supply of necessary construction materials such as bitumen and crushing materials. Due to the unavailability of construction materials on time, there has been no significant activity at the construction site for the past few days.

According to local residents, heavy equipment was being operated daily a few months ago for blacktopping and gravelling work. However, the presence of equipment and workers at the construction site has decreased recently. This has disappointed the local residents who expected the road to be completed soon.

The Dhulikhel-Khawa road section is an important part of the Suryabinayak-Dhulikhel road expansion project. Due to the delay in the construction of this road, which is a major entry route from the Kathmandu Valley to eastern Nepal, travelers, businessmen, and local residents have been suffering for years.

The construction side has stated that the remaining work will be expedited once the problem of material supply is resolved. Although the goal was to complete the blacktopping and other structural work as much as possible before the monsoon, the current material shortage may affect that goal.

However, as blacktopping has been completed in most parts, the condition of the road has significantly improved compared to the past. Although the problem of dust and mud has been reduced to some extent, travelers still have to face an uncomfortable journey in some places due to the incomplete work. Local residents have demanded that the concerned bodies ensure the regular supply of construction materials and expedite the remaining work on the road. Photo: Suryams Upreti/Nepal Photo Library