Animal-friendly flyover to be built in Tikauli forest

By Shaligram Nepal,Chitwan, Nov. 30: A new flyover will be built along the East-West Highway corridor in Chitwan National Park to allow wildlife to safely cross the road between Bharatpur and Ratnanagar.

The structure is part of the ongoing expansion of the Narayangadh-Pathlaiya section of the highway, which has been in planning for many years but has not moved forward until now.

According to Chudaram Dhakal, Project Director at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Project Directorate, the process to call for bids for the upgrade of the Narayangadh-Hetauda road section is now in its final stage. He said the flyover is being planned specifically to support wildlife movement during the road widening and upgrading works.

“We are preparing to invite bids within the next few weeks. With ADB’s concessional loan, the main road will be expanded to four lanes, and to eight lanes including service lanes in market areas,” Dhakal said.

Work on the first seven kilometres -- from Narayangadh to Gondrang -- has already been completed. The remaining part of the 100-kilometre section will now be upgraded under new contracts, he added.

Dhakal said that preparations for the flyover are underway, as its construction is essential. The project is a first of its kind in Nepal. The two-kilometre-long flyover is expected to cost around Rs. 7 billion. 

It will have three lanes on each side, with an additional walking and cycling lane on both sides. The remaining four lanes will serve two-way vehicular movement. He added that the new structure is expected to become a tourist attraction once completed.

Vehicles will use the upper level of the flyover, while wildlife will move beneath it. The structure aims to prevent animal deaths on this busy section of the highway, where around 20,000 vehicles move daily and wildlife casualties are frequent.

Hari Bhadra Acharya, Senior Ecologist at the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, said the department has taken the lead in ensuring that the flyover is included in the road expansion plan.

“The flyover will be about two kilometres long. Road expansion cannot move ahead unless the flyover is guaranteed. Because the flyover is now confirmed, other work has progressed,” he said.

In the first phase, a flyover will be built in the Tikauli Forest area, followed by another in the Amlekhgunj-Aadhabar forest area in the next phase. “Without the flyover, road widening cannot proceed, so its construction has now been assured,” Acharya added.

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the road upgrade is now in its final stage. ADB is expected to provide approximately Rs. 3 billion in grant assistance for the expansion, according to Dhakal.

Suman Ghimire, former President of the Regional Hotel Association, Sauraha, and a tourism entrepreneur, said the Tikauli Forest flyover will help develop a new tourist attraction in Chitwan. 

“This will be the first such structure in Nepal. Similar crossings abroad have proven effective,” he said, adding that both domestic and international tourists will enjoy the new experience.

Tourism expert Dr Bishwo Subedi also said the flyover will not only support wildlife movement but will also contribute to Chitwan’s economic development. He added that it will highlight the area’s strong tourism potential.