Khulalu-Salisalla section of Karnali corridor to be blacktopped

By Rajan Rawat,Humla, Feab. 23: The Karnali corridor section from Khulalu in Kalikot district to Salisalla in Humla district will be blacktopped. The Department of Road has made preparations to blacktop the road after completing the construction and upgrading works on the road section.

Birendra Kumar Yadav, planning head of the Hilsa-Simkot Road Section Project, said that works to tar  the road to Salisalla from Khulalu Laifu have been started. 

He said that the Department of Roads has completed the DPR of the road section and the blacktopping work would start in the next financial year. 

The black-topped road will be a double-lane. “The DPR  will be prepared soon and the work will start as soon as the department arranges budget,” he said. 

He said they were busy estimating budget.

Vehicles are currently operating along the 122.75km fair-weather road. The length of the road from Khulalu in Kalikot to Kawadi in Bajura district is 183.75 km, while the distance from Kawadi to Salisalla in the Humla section is 39 km. 

According to Yadav, it will take four to five years to tar the entire road section. Currently, the project is working on widening and improving the road section dividing it into six packages through  construction companies.

Rs. 80 million have been invested through the six construction companies for this project. Traffic operations will be facilitated after the road is blacktopped. The construction of the road section was completed by the Nepali Army 19 months ago and was handed over to the project.