Prithvi Highway upgrade makes major progress

By Amar Raj Naharki,Tanahun, Dec. 14: Physical progress on the western section of the Muglin-Pokhara road upgrade under the Prithvi Highway has sped up, allowing people to experience smoother and safer journeys. 

This section, long troubled by frequent landslides, muddy conditions during rainfall and dust during dry spells, has now achieved 60 per cent physical progress. Blacktopping works in Magde-6 Mauribas and Mauri Odar (cave) have improved travel conditions.

Of the 38.88 km stretch, the first layer of blacktop on one side has been completed along 37.4 km. 

According to project engineer Sahan Shila Kayastha, road expansion, drainage, retaining walls, bridges and culverts are progressing simultaneously. Eleven out of twelve bridges have already been completed, while the Seti River bridge has achieved over 50 per cent progress.

Around 600 workers are engaged daily, and up to 18,000 monthly workdays are being generated, according to the project office.

Blacktopping work, which had been stalled for a long time at Mauri Odar in Tanahun due to landslide risks, is now advancing rapidly.

According to Krishna Bahadur Kunwar, head of the road project, blacktopping on two lanes is underway, and work on the remaining two lanes will begin within a few days. 

Last fiscal year, the project aimed to blacktop 25 km of four-lane road, of which 23.06 km has been completed. Culvert and drainage construction is also progressing as planned -- 65 of the 66 culverts have been built, and 45.2 km of drainage has been completed out of the 51.5 km target.

The contract for this section was signed on May 17, 2021, with a deadline of December 31, 2025. Anhui Construction Engineering Group has taken the contract for nearly Rs. 7.4 billion. 

With obstacles now cleared, the project is expected to be completed on time. A stretch long known as one of the most troublesome sections for travellers is gradually being transformed into a highway that meets modern standards.