SATV, Kathmadnu, April. 16 - Travel along the Narayanghat–Butwal section of the East–West Highway is expected to be easier during the upcoming monsoon compared to previous years, according to the project office.

It is set to complete one-side concreting and blacktopping the Daunne section before the rainy season. The project said contractors are working to meet the deadline, which is expected to ease movement during the monsoon.

In the Daunne section, only 330 metres in the eastern stretch and 701 metres in the western stretch remain to be concreted and blacktopped out of the total 14 km. The eastern stretch includes 4 km that requires full concreting, while in the western stretch, 7.2 km is to be concreted and 2.8 km blacktopped under the agreement.

Information officer of the project, Engineer Shiva Khanal said one-side concreting in the eastern section will be completed by the end of April. He added that there is an earlier agreement to cut payments if the work is not concluded within the set timeframe.

The project has reported 80 per cent physical progress in the eastern section and 82 per cent in the western section. Two bridges at Arun Khola and Dumkibas are yet to be connected to the main road.

In the western section, work is under way to complete one-side blacktopping and concreting by the end of June. It will take one additional month to complete the entire section, said the project. 

However, delays in the supply of bitumen due to the ongoing conflict in West Asia have raised concerns over timely completion. Officials said that reduced imports of bitumen could delay the project and increase costs.  Contractors have also indicated they may seek compensation due to rising transport costs linked to higher petroleum prices. A decision on cost adjustments is a matter to be addressed by the government.

Beyond Daunne, works such as plantation under bio-engineering, service lane construction and road marking are in progress. The 113.5 km project includes upgrading 70 km to four lanes, adding service tracks in 29 km, and expanding 14 km in the Daunne hill section to three lanes. 

The project began in 2019 with a completion target of 2022, but deadlines have been extended four times. The latest deadline ends on July 24 this year.

The project is being implemented with financial support from the Asian Development Bank, with a total cost of Rs 16.99 billion.