Upgrade of the Barhabise-Kodari section begins, completion target set for three years

By TRN Online, Charikot, March 24: Upgrade of the Barhabise-Kodari section of the Araniko Highway has officially begun.

The Department of Road initiated the project after securing a budget approval of Rs 2.37 billion from the Ministry of Finance to repair and upgrade the road, which was damaged by monsoon rains.

According to the chief of the Road Division Office, Charikot, Narayan Datta Bhandarithe, the contract process was completed and an agreement was signed November, 2024, with the construction company MS NS Galva JV. The project cost has been fixed at Rs 1.34 billion.

The 26-kilometer stretch from Barhabise-Kodari Highway will be upgraded into a double-lane road.

Bhandari said that construction of necessary structures for the double-lane expansion is currently underway.

Retaining walls and other protective structures are also being built in landslide-prone areas. So far, the physical progress of the project has reached 7 percent.

Gauri Upreti, a representative of the construction company, said that the project is expected to be completed within three years if no major obstacles arise. The contract agreement was signed on 17 November , 2025 and construction work began at the site from December 6. He added that the work will be completed on time provided there are no disruptions in materials or project implementation.