Construction of Asian Highway picks up momentum

Belbari (Morang), Feb 7: The construction of the Asian Highway, which has been moved forward with the main objective of connecting Asian countries through road network, has started gaining momentum. Twelve percent of the construction work has been completed in one year, it is stated.    

The 120-km road from Kakarbhitta to Laukahi under Asian Highway No. 2 was supposed to be upgraded, but the upgrading works are being carried out only on 95.76 kms of the road currently under contract.    

Work is being carried out by dividing the 95.76 kms section of the Asian Highway into two parts- the eastern section and the western section. The 45-km road from Kakarbhitta to Sitapur will be managed by the Damak-based office and the road from Sitapur to Pachrukhi, west of Itahari, will be handled by the Itahari office.    

According to both the offices, 12 percent of the work has been completed in this one year. Sunil Babu Panta, Head of Damak office of the project, said the target is to blacktop at least 20 kilometers of road within this fiscal year.    

Similarly, Project West Section Itahari Office Chief Jagat Prajapati said that the first phase of blacktopping of at least 10 kilometres of road is targeted within this fiscal year.    
Rajendra Raut, president of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), said that the Asian Highway carries the possibility of international trade as it is connected to Bangladesh within 27 kilometers of Nepal via India.    

With the operation of the road, import and export will become cheaper and rural enterprises will have access to the international market, he added.    
The Asian Highway starts from Bangkok in Thailand and passes through Myanmar, Bangladesh and India to Karachi in Pakistan via Delhi in India and along the East-West Highway via Kakarbhitta in Nepal.    

The construction of the road started in January last year with the financial assistance of the Asian Development Bank with a plan to complete the construction within three years.    
The project is estimated to cost 300 million USD. A total of 48 bridges, 10 overpasses, both small and big, will be constructed within the 95.76 km stretch of the Asian Highway.  (RSS)