SATV Kathmandu June 4: Work to widen the Butwal–Narayangadh road-section has reached its final stage. 

The one-way blacktopping is now almost complete. The 113-kilometre road was divided into two sections to accelerate the road widening work. 

According to Shiva Khanal, the Information Officer of the Narayangadh–Butwal Road Construction Project, blacktopping of 94 kilometres of the road has been completed.

According to Khanal, 83 per cent of the total road length has been blacktopped, vehicles are allowed to ply along the tarred section.

The road expansion project on both section is moving ahead with loan support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) at a cost of Rs. 16.99 billion.

The physical progress of the road construction project has reached 67 per cent. Out of the total 113.53-kilometre road section, 90.87 kilometres have currently been blacktopped on one side.

Of the total length, 70 kilometres will have four lanes, while 29 kilometres will have four lanes along with 6-metre service lanes on both sides. 

Bridge construction, culvert construction and blacktopping work are being carried out at a fast pace.

The construction work is being carried out as per the daily schedule to make travel along the road section more convenient. 

The expansion work was started by China State Construction Corporation Ltd., which signed the contract on February 7, 2019 with a completion deadline of August 7, 2022.

As the project could not be completed within the set timeframe, the deadline was extended for the second term until July 23, 2024. After failing to meet that deadline again, the project deadline was extended for the third time until July 24, 2025.