Kathmandu: Activities for the road expansion on the Sanga-Dhulikhel road section along the Araniko Highway have been halted due to monsoon. The road widening drive is set to resume once the monsoon exits the country, as informed by the Suryabinayak-Dhulikhel-Dhulikhel-Sindhuli-Bardibas road project.
According to National News Agency Nepal, the road expansion has been obstructed at the Poolbazaar area on the road section for the past four months due to protests from locals. The expansion drive has not progressed in approximately a 200-meter area due to reservations from local communities. Project engineer Bishnu Prasad Khanal noted that although discussions have been frequently held with stakeholders, including municipal representatives and local residents, these talks have not yielded concrete results.
With the local obstructions, various activities such as the removal of houses and huts, in addition to high-tension electric poles, have come to a standstill. Meanwhile, the expansion of the six-lane road from Suryabinayak, Bhaktapur to Dhulikhel, Kavrepalanchowk along the Araniko Highway is facing delays and is not expected to be completed on time, with roughly six months remaining before the deadline.
The project initially set a target to complete the 16-kilometer road within 36 months, having commenced on 24 Poush 2979 BS. The expansion drive was divided into two segments: Suryabinayak to Sanga and Sanga to Dhulikhel. Project sources indicate that only around 50 percent of the construction work has been completed so far.
Project’s senior divisional engineer and Information Officer, Sajana Adhikari, stated that approximately 65 percent physical progress is expected by the stipulated deadline. The widening drive has been delayed due to several reasons, including local aggression.