Muglin-Pokhara road expansion: Process of extension of deadline for eastern section commences

Published On: April 21, 2024 10:00 PM NPT By: Republica | @RepublicaNepal

TANAHUN, April 21: The contract for the eastern section under the Muglin-Pokhara road extension project has expired. Following the expiry of the contract on April 17, the government has initiated the process of extending the deadline of the project.

Bishnu Pandey, an engineer overseeing the eastern section of the project, mentioned that the Government of Nepal is planning to extend the deadline by six months considering the suspension of the construction work during the Covid-19 pandemic. Construction began in mid-April 2021.

He stated that based on the decision of the Council of Ministers to extend the deadline for work halted due to the pandemic, an extension is imminent. Currently, 18 km of 4-lane road and 9 km of two-lane road have been paved in this section. According to him, progress in the eastern section has reached 56 percent.

Starting from Jamune in Tanahun, the black-topping work has progressed towards Damauli. The project is prioritizing hill leveling at necessary locations alongside the black-topping efforts.

Shyam Kumar Yadav, chief of the eastern section of the project, proposed adding one year to complete the project. He said tripartite discussions are ongoing among the government, investors, and contractors.

Covering a distance of 41.7 km, the eastern section’s contract worth Rs 6.21 billion was awarded to China Communication Construction.

In the western section, 7.5 km of two-lane road has been black-topped. Narayan Poudel, the engineer for the western section, stated that the construction of culverts and drains has been expedited before the onset of rains. Progress in this section has reached 20 percent.

The western section spans 38.88 km from Jamune in the district to Setipul in Pokhara. The contract for this section was awarded to China's Anhui Kaiyuan Road & Bridge Company.

The contract for this section was signed for Rs 7.40 billion, with an agreement that work on this section, which began in August 2021, should be completed by August 28, 2024.