Road labs built with MCC assistance opens

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Apr. 27: New laboratories constructed at the Department of Roads with the assistance from the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) were inaugurated here on Tuesday. Representatives from the Department of Roads, Millennium Challenge Account Nepal Development Board (MCA-Nepal) and Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) jointly inaugurated the laboratories at the Department of Roads (DoR), a key partner in MCA-Nepal’s effort to sustain the quality of roads and help the government of Nepal address long-term maintenance needs. 

The construction of the labs and installation of lab equipment by MCA-Nepal is an important milestone funded by the MCC-Nepal Compact, according to a press statement of MCA-Nepal. 

Shiva Hari Sapkota, Director General at DoR, was joined by Khadga Bahadur Bisht, Executive Director at MCA-Nepal, and Jonathan Brooks, Deputy Vice-President of Europe, Asia, Pacific and Latin America at MCC, for the inauguration of the labs.

These labs include an Asphalt Mix Design Lab, Superpave Asphalt Lab, Storage Lab and Saw Cutting and Core Drilling Equipment Lab which will play a crucial role in the compact’s US$ 52.3 million Road Maintenance Project. 

Shiva Hari Sapkota, Director General at DoR, expressed his pleasure to mobilise the MCC grant in upgrading the quality of roads in Nepal. 

Jonathan Brooks, Deputy Vice-President of Europe, Asia, Pacific and Latin America at MCC, said, “The MCC partnership with Nepal is already delivering for the people of Nepal. The inauguration of these state of the art labs marks an important step in the MCC-Nepal partnership projects and will help pave the way towards a more prosperous future.” 

Khadga Bahadur Bisht, Executive Director at MCA-Nepal shared that these technologies being introduced will revolutionize road maintenance practice in Nepal. 

MCA-Nepal will provide the DoR with Technical Assistance of about USD 3.65 million. 

The Technical Assistance will also support DoR in traffic and road deflection measurement campaign, technical trainings on new road construction technologies and contribute to improved project management activities.

The combined value of laboratory equipment, including Superpave Asphalt Mix Design, Full Depth Reclamation and Falling Weight Deflectometer, is about USD 1.36 million, and the construction cost of the lab buildings is approximately USD 60 thousand, read the statement. 

The DoR will use laboratory equipment for Road Maintenance Project related activities, including regular trainings for DoR technicians.