The work on the Narayangadh-Hetauda and Muglin-Ambukhaireni road upgrade has not progressed due to the lack of timely approval of the Detailed Project Report (DPR). Both roads are being upgraded with a concessional loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The project office was preparing to invite tenders within the second week of Falgun. However, the tender could not be invited within that time due to the lack of timely approval of the DPR. 

The DPR is currently in the process of being approved by the Roads Department. Discussions are underway on this. Chudaraj Dhakal, Project Director of the Project Directorate (ADB), said that the project is preparing to invite tenders within a month after getting the DPR approved. On 19 Mangs, the project office had issued a public notice requesting not to build new structures in the road upgrade. 

‘As per the information, efforts are being made to remove the houses and huts. An office has been established in Dumre, Tanahun to construct the Muglin-Ambukhaireni section, where the office chief has also been appointed,’ said Chief Dhakal, ‘Two bridges will be constructed under the design and build method on the said road section.’ According to him, a bridge will be constructed from Muglin Bazaar and another from the power house of the Marsyangdi Hydropower Project near Katna. A concrete bridge will be built about 400 meters from the Marsyangdi Power House. After that, a 4-lane road will be constructed up to Jamune. 

The road upgrading work from Ambukhaireni to Pokhara has been completed in some sections and is in the process of being completed in others. The road leading from Muglin Bazaar to Ambukhaireni is narrow, so the upgrading work did not start in the first lot. Despite the heavy traffic, the project has stated that a four-lane road will not be built on the section due to the Marsyangdi Hydropower Project powerhouse and the risk of cutting additional hills. Therefore, two-lane roads will be built across the border. Five of the 8.5 km will be built across the border. 

Meanwhile, road upgrading work is underway on the 70-km Narayangadh-Hetauda road from Rapti Bridge in Hetauda to Gondrang in Bharatpur in Chitwan. A two-km-long flyover will be constructed in Tikauli Forest in Chitwan under the Narayangadh-Hetauda section. The project has stated that this is the first time such a long flyover is being built within a protected area. Its construction is estimated to cost Rs 4 billion.

An agreement has been reached for ADB to provide a grant of Rs 3 billion for this. An additional Rs 1 billion will be used as a loan. The flyover will be three-lane. One lane on each side will be suitable for pedestrians and cyclists. The remaining four lanes will have two lanes for vehicles in both directions. 

The flyover will have 67 pillars. Vehicles will pass over the flyover, while wildlife will be able to pass under it. A four-lane road will be built in the settlements and residential areas on the Hetauda-Narayangadh road section. Similarly, one-lane service lanes will be constructed. In the urban area, additional two-lane service lanes, drains, sidewalks, and separate bridges for pedestrians and vehicles will be built. 

‘A bypass will be built from Ratomate in Hetauda to Rapti Bridge, but the design of this section is yet to be done,’  He said, ‘We will move forward with further processes on the section after the contract is awarded for the road from Raptipul to Gondrang in Chitwan.’ The project office estimates that the upgrade of the Ambukhaireni and Narayangadh-Hetauda sections will cost Rs 53 billion. ‘The construction period for both sections will be 3.5 years,’ he said, ‘It will take 6 months to design the bridge in the Muglin-Ambukhaireni section, this time is also counted within the contract agreement period.’