Gandaki, November 3
The upgrading of the Pokhara-Mugling road section of the Prithvi Highway has reached its final stage, with physical progress on the western section (Pokhara-Jamune) reaching 86 per cent, according to the project office.
The eastern section (Jamune-Mugling) has been completed and handed over by the construction company, said engineer Bishnu Prasad Pandey. The section has entered the defect liability period (DLP), during which the contractor is responsible for correcting any construction defects. The company will also be responsible for maintenance for another five years after the DLP.
The 41.45-kilometre eastern section has been widened to six lanes in parts of Dumre and Damauli and four lanes elsewhere. Seventeen bridges have also been constructed. The signature bridge over the Madi River in Tanahun is being built under a separate contract.
Meanwhile, work on the 38.88-kilometre western section is expected to be completed by mid-December, said project chief engineer Krishna Bahadur Kunwar. Around five kilometres of service lanes remain to be blacktopped, while road markings, traffic signs and other road safety works are underway.
The western section has 18.5 kilometres of six-lane road, with the remaining stretch widened to four lanes. Twelve of its 13 bridges have been completed, while the signature bridge over the Seti River in Pokhara is under a separate contract.
The 81-kilometre project, funded through a loan from the Asian Development Bank, began in 2021. Its completion is expected to improve transport connectivity with Pokhara and support economic and tourism activities in the region.
