Construction of all bridges in the eastern section of the Narayanghat–Butwal road, a national pride project of the government, has been completed.

According to the Narayanghat–Butwal Road Project (Eastern Section), vehicles are currently operating on 33 of the 34 completed bridges. The remaining bridge is expected to open to traffic before the upcoming House of Representatives election scheduled for March 5.

Project Information Officer Engineer Shiva Khanal said construction of all bridges was completed after concreting of the eighth span of the Arun Khola bridge. Under the project, the Chinese contractor China State Engineering Construction Corporation Limited was awarded the contract to build 34 bridges - 22 short bridges up to 25 metres in length and 12 long bridges exceeding 25 metres. Khanal confirmed that construction of all 22 small and 12 large bridges has now been completed.

While all small bridges are already operational, not all large bridges have been opened to traffic yet. “With the Girubari Khola bridge at Chormara Bazaar coming into operation last week, traffic is currently running on 33 bridges,” Khanal said, “Finishing works and construction of approach roads are being expedited to bring the Arun Khola bridge into operation before the election.”

Khanal said road expansion work in the eastern section is progressing at a rapid pace. However, due to the difficult terrain in the Daunne section, construction of some culverts remains pending, though the work is in its final stage.

Of the approximately 65 kilometres of road between Narayanghat and Daunne, almost all sections - except Daunne - are now blacktopped and suitable for travel, Khanal said. “Road expansion in Daunne is also progressing swiftly,” he said, “Due to the challenging terrain, concrete pavement is being used instead of blacktopping in this section, which has caused some delay.”

The physical progress of the eastern section of the Narayanghat–Butwal road expansion project has reached 76 percent, according to Khanal. Except for the Daunne stretch, parts of Arun Khola and Dumkibas, two-way blacktopping has been completed in most areas, easing travel. However, travel remains difficult in the Daunne area as concrete paving work is still ongoing.

Lane marking is underway in sections where two-way blacktopping has been completed, while additional service lanes are being constructed where required. Of the 14-kilometre Daunne stretch, four kilometres fall within the eastern section. Works currently underway there include hill cutting, construction of remaining culverts, widening of the road, and installation of stone-filled wire mesh to prevent landslides. A total of 215 culverts are to be constructed in this section, Khanal said.

The Government of Nepal signed a contract with China State Engineering Construction Corporation Limited on February 7, 2023, for the expansion of the Narayanghat–Butwal road. The project was to be completed within 42 months of the start of construction, but progress has been slow. After failing to meet the original deadline, the government extended the contractor’s deadline four times, with the latest extension setting a final completion date of July 24, 2025.

The 114-kilometre Narayanghat–Butwal road has been divided into two sections for construction, both awarded to the same Chinese company. The total project cost is estimated at around Rs 17 billion, with 85 percent of the funding provided as a loan by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).