Narayangadh-Butwal Road Expansion Nears Completion with 92% Physical Progress

Kathmandu. The journey on the Narayangadh-Butwal section of the East-West Highway, which has been 'difficult' for passengers for years, will now be easier.

With 92 percent physical progress achieved in road expansion, passengers will be freed from the suffering of Daunne, and the journey from Butwal to Narayangadh can be completed in about two hours, the project informed.

This project, which started with an agreement on March 21, 2019, with loan assistance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), had an initial deadline of August 7, 2022. However, due to the Covid pandemic, delays in tree cutting, and the sluggishness of the construction entrepreneur, the work could not be completed within the stipulated deadline, and the deadline was extended for the first time until August 7, 2024.

As the work was not completed within that deadline, it was extended for the second time until August 7, 2025.

Even though the physical construction work will be completed within this extended period, road safety works such as road marking will take some more time, the project informed.

The cost of this 114 km long road, which is being expanded in two packages – 65 km eastern section from Gaindakot in Nawalpur to Daunne and 49 km western section from Daunne to Butwal – is Rs 16.99 billion 52 million 96 thousand.

This road has been expanded to four lanes for 70 km, four lanes with 6-6 meter service lanes on both sides in urban areas for 29 km, and the 14 km road in Daunne has been expanded to three lanes, the project informed.

Asphalt Paving Delayed in Eastern Section Due to Bitumen Shortage

The construction work of the eastern section of the project has reached its final stage. According to Shiva Khanal, engineer and information officer of the eastern section, the physical progress of this section has reached 92 percent so far.

In this road section under construction for a long time, the work on the main structures has been completed and is in the finishing stage. According to Khanal, 99 percent of the asphalt paving (pitch) work and 98 percent of the drainage work have been completed. Similarly, the construction of small and large bridges has also been completed by more than 95 percent.

Significant success has been achieved in improving the Daunne section, which has been very difficult for passengers for a long time. Out of the 10 km road section in Daunne, road concreting has been completed in all places except for the 190-meter landslide-affected area near Khursani Khola. Nine large bridges and 34 small bridges have also been constructed.

Now, only 'road safety' works remain on the road. 'Currently, works such as lane marking, installing barriers, and planting saplings for greenery promotion in the middle of the road are being carried out,' said Engineer Khanal. However, he clarified that the installation of street lights is not included in this contract.

Although the project is carrying out the remaining work at a rapid pace, there is a delay due to a shortage of construction materials. The supply of petroleum products has been affected due to the ongoing conflict in West Asia, resulting in a shortage of bitumen (a raw material required for asphalt paving). This has affected the asphalt paving. About 300 meters of the second layer (final layer) of the road needs to be paved.

'The first layer of asphalt has been laid, so there is no problem for vehicles to run and for the general public to travel, but the work on the upper layer is somewhat stalled due to the bitumen shortage,' said Khanal.

With the acceleration of road construction, passengers traveling on the eastern section will no longer have to suffer from mud and dust as before. The journey has become easier as most parts of the road have been paved or concreted. Additionally, 34 small and large bridges in this section have been completed.

Western Section Also in Final Stage

The physical progress of the western section (Butwal-Daunne) of the Narayangadh-Butwal Road Expansion Project has reached 92 percent. The remaining works in this section, which has a deadline until July 20, are progressing rapidly, the project informed.

According to Vikas Khanal, engineer of the western section of the project, 81 percent financial progress has been made so far. He states that the financial progress will increase further as some new payments are being processed.

Significant success has been achieved in improving the Daunne section, which has been very difficult for passengers for a long time. Out of the 10 km road section in Daunne, road concreting has been completed in all places except for the 190-meter landslide-affected area near Khursani Khola. Nine large bridges and 34 small bridges have also been constructed.

'Work on one side of the 190-meter landslide-affected area has been completed, and work on the other side has also started,' said Engineer Khanal. 'That section will also be ready by the second week of Asar. After that, the suffering caused by mud and landslides in Daunne during the monsoon will be completely eliminated.'

He informed that the journey from Butwal to Narayangadh can now be completed in about two hours. Safety measures are also being implemented along with road expansion. Currently, 'road marking' work has started on the road, and preparations are underway to install 'crash barriers' in the Daunne section.

Similarly, the construction of service lanes in the six-lane urban area has also progressed. The first coat of service lane work has been completed in areas other than Bardaghat, and if the weather permits, the second coat work will also be completed within the deadline, said Engineer Khanal.

However, some technical works may be pushed beyond August due to the monsoon. The project estimates that some works, especially bio-engineering and service lane road marking, may remain due to the rainy season.

Considering the potential problems that may arise during the rainy season, the work of constructing 'tick drains' (drains) has also been prioritized in the Daunne section.

Upon completion of this road section, it is expected that thousands of passengers traveling east-west will be permanently freed from the problem of dust, mud, and traffic jams that they have been facing for a long time.