Acting United States Ambassador to Nepal Scott Arbum has said that this project should be considered as an important example of the Nepal-US partnership.
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The upgrading of the 40-kilometer Dhankhola-Lamahi road section along the East-West Highway has officially begun. Lumbini Province Chief Minister Chet Narayan Acharya laid the foundation stone on Wednesday and initiated the road upgrading work.
The road upgrading and maintenance work under the MCC project will use cutting-edge technologies such as Full Depth Reclamation (FDR) and Superpave Asphalt for the first time in Nepal.
It is expected that these technologies will make the road strong, durable and environmentally friendly by reusing old materials. This is expected to reduce costs in the long term and increase the quality of road maintenance. Under the project, a seven-meter wide carriageway and two and a half-meter solder will be constructed on both sides of the road, making the total width 12 meters.
Addressing the program, Chief Minister Acharya said that the use of cutting-edge technology is commendable. He expressed the view that this road upgrade will make travel safe and reliable and will have a positive impact on local businesses, agriculture and enterprises. He also emphasized the need to move forward with road improvement and upgrading work in line with the expectations of the locals.
Acting United States Ambassador to Nepal Scott Arbum said that this project should be taken as an important example of Nepal-US partnership. He said that this project is focused on reducing transportation costs, increasing road safety and connecting local communities to markets.
Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport Sushil Babu Dhakal said that MCA-Nepal's investment is complementary to the government's plans and programs. He expressed confidence that this collaboration will support infrastructure development and expand economic opportunities.
MCC's National Resident Deputy Director Sanjay Paudyal said that it will help in building cost-effective infrastructure through technology that ensures long-term performance.
Khadga Bahadur Bista, Executive Director of MCA-Nepal, stated that the road maintenance project is an important project under the MCC Nepal Compact and pledged to complete the work with transparency and high quality. Saurabh Sharma, representative of Sharma Construction and Kumar Nirman Sewa Pvt. Ltd., expressed his commitment to complete the work within the stipulated time.
Bids were invited on October 30, 2024 for the road section upgrade. Sharma-Kumar JV, a joint venture of Sharma Construction and Kumar Nirman Sewa Pvt. Ltd., has been given the responsibility of the construction. An agreement was signed between MCA-Nepal and the construction company on Poush 7. According to the agreement, the construction work of the project must be completed within 24 months. The construction company has taken the responsibility of working at 20.8 million US dollars (about 3 billion rupees) excluding VAT.
Under the full-depth reclamation and superpave technology used in the road section, most of the old construction materials used on the road can be processed and reused. Under this, reusing materials such as sand and gravel is expected to reduce costs and minimize environmental impact.
