Physical Infrastructure and Transport Minister Devendra Dahal got stuck in a traffic jam on Thursday afternoon in Daunne section under the East-West Highway. He had walked to Narayangadh via Butwal to monitor road expansion. Escorting Minister Dahal also took four hours to clear the lower section. As there was no way to remove the traffic jam, Minister Dahal directed the contractor and the road department to immediately repair the road in Daune.

 The traffic problem in the lower section is not only on Thursday, but since Butwal-Narayangadh road expansion started. For the past few days, the road has become muddy due to the rain and the vehicles are slipping and the big cargo vehicles are unable to climb the hill.

It takes 5/6 hours to cross the 14 km road of the lower section. But security personnel are escorting specific people, ministers and party leaders to cross the bridge. At that time, cargo vehicles are stopped at Dumkibas and Bardghat. 

Journalist Deepak Bhattarai, who was stuck in Downe at 2 pm on Thursday, said that he reached Dumkibas at 11 pm. The condition of the road is very bad. Hilo is unable to drive small vehicles. On top of that, the traffic jam is increasing with random overtaking," he said, "It is such a misery during normal rains. Angad Yadav of Pratappur, who was coming from Kathmandu to Bardghat, arrived at Dumkibas at 4 am on Friday. He said that after being stuck in a traffic jam for four to five hours, he is preparing to cross the valley on foot. 

Last week Thursday's normal rain also blocked the traffic in the lower section of the East-West Highway. Since then it has been raining every day. Janak Banjara, Police Inspector of District Traffic Police Office, Nawalpur, said that the road was slippery due to rain. The administration has asked passengers to use the alternative route of the lower section. 

Rajendra Vick, who was going from Kathmandu to Butwal by car, said that he was worried about what would happen after the rain because the road was closed in the flood. "Because the government did not resolve it on time, we daily commuters have suffered," he said, "floods were also the same problem." The work was started on March 27 after closing the road for a few hours to facilitate the movement of vehicles in the lower section. At that time, it was said that until 31st Chait from 11am to 3pm and from 1st Baisakh to 15th Baisakh from 11pm to 5am, the operation of non-essential vehicles will be suspended. But the day after the work started, the road was slippery due to rain and traffic was affected.

Road department teams and security personnel have been mobilized to clear the jam. Small vehicles have to be pushed by the security personnel while large vehicles have to be pushed by dozers. According to the traffic police office, vehicles can be operated easily only after the rain stops and the mud is removed. 

Butwal-Narayangadh Road Extension Project East Section Information Officer Shiv Khanal said that they are trying their best to avoid any problem during Barkhayam this year. "So that the problem does not repeat itself, we stopped the traffic and started the repair," he said, "As soon as the work started, it rained." 

Minister Dahal had a discussion with the secretary, head of department, Chinese contractor company and consultant in Chitwan on Friday. In the discussion, Minister Dahal's personal secretary Manoj Dahal informed that the contractor has agreed to make the traffic easier by immediately fixing the road in the lower section and adding gravel.

Ghanshyam Giri, Chairman of Vinayi-Triveni Rural Municipality, has assured that the municipality will provide the necessary gravel for the Downing section. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who reached Chitwan on Friday to inaugurate Bharatpur's 6-lane road, visited Gaindakot via Narayani to see the road expansion. Although he was late earlier on the road, he returned with a response that the work is now underway. 

The Chinese company China State Construction took the contract for 16.99 billion rupees in Chait 2075 for the expansion of the first section of 65 km from Gandakot to Downe and the second section of Downe-Butwal 49 km. According to the contract, the work should have been completed by July 079. But due to the lack of construction materials and covid-19, the deadline was extended for the first time till 11 July 080.

has since been extended twice to 8 July 082. But with only three months remaining, the progress is only 63 percent. Even after the completion of the construction, there is an agreement that the contractor will have to maintain the road for 5 years.

The project director of the Directorate of Projects (ADB) under the Roads Department, Chudaraj Dhakal, says that in the early days, the work was delayed due to lack of construction materials, cutting of trees, and delay in moving electric poles. "Later, the businessmen delayed the work saying that they would incur losses if they took the contract at a low bid," he says. After that, the work has accelerated.' 

After the bridge collapsed in Dumkibas of East Nawalparasi under East-West Highway on 26th of December, traffic is being operated through diversion. Due to which some detours have to be used and the journey has become longer. The project said that if the bridge is not constructed here before the beginning of the rainy season, travel on the road section will be affected, so the construction has been accelerated.