Works gain pace, but deadline unlikely to be met

By Bomlal Giri,Nawalpur, Jan. 30: After multiple extensions, the long-delayed Narayangadh-Butwal highway expansion project has finally gained momentum. With just five months left in the latest deadline, construction work is progressing rapidly on both the eastern and western sections.

The renewed pace comes after the government issued a warning to cancel the contract if the construction company, China State Construction Corporation Pvt. Ltd., failed to comply with the agreement. 

Despite an additional four-month extension, the company had not resumed work, but is now operating at full capacity, according to Anuja Adhikari, head of the eastern section.

Spokesperson for the western section, Shiva Khanal, stated that this is the fastest progress seen in the six years since the project began. Key works such as blacktopping, culvert construction, bridge-building, and hill cutting in Daunne are currently underway. Blacktopping is being done in 14 locations, including Gaidakot, Shiji, Chormara, Arunkhola, Sunwal, and Bhumahi.

Chief District Officers Arun Pokhrel of Nawalpur and Skim Shrestha of Western Nawalparasi confirmed that, despite earlier setbacks, recent progress has been satisfactory. If the current pace continues, significant physical progress will be visible within a month.

 Project won't be completed on time

China State Construction Corporation Ltd. failed to meet its first deadline of completing 70 per cent of one-side blacktopping by December 10, 2024. The second deadline, set for March 31, 2025, is also likely to be missed due to financial delays, according to Project Manager Jha.

Work was stalled for four months after the contract extension due to funding issues, but with new funds from China, progress has picked up. Jha stated that while the March deadline is unrealistic, they aim to finish most one-sided blacktopping, except for Daunne, by June. Currently, 1,150 workers are engaged in the project, with at least one kilometer being blacktopped weekly.

No commitment from the contractor

The Chinese contractor had requested both district administrations to close the road in the Daunne section for at least 15 days, five hours daily, to complete hill-cutting work. Chief District Officer Pokhrel had coordinated with the Nawalparasi administration to schedule the closures during low-traffic hours.

However, since Daunne has no alternative route, authorities asked the contractor to commit to completing the work within 15 days to minimize public inconvenience. The company failed to provide such a commitment, leading authorities to decide against closing the road, Pokhrel stated.

The 113-km road expansion project is divided into two sections. Out of this, 70 km will be a six-lane highway, 29 km will have four lanes with 6-metre-wide service lanes on both sides, and the 14-km Daunne section will have three lanes. The project also includes the construction of 64 bridges and 462 culverts.

The contract for the project was signed on February 7, 2019 with China State Construction Corporation Ltd., with an original deadline of August 7, 2022. The foundation stone was laid in April 2019. However, six years later, only 54 per cent of the physical work has been completed. 

The project is funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), with a total contract value of NRs 16.99 billion.