September 5: The plan to expand the East-West Highway into a dedicated four-lane safe road will not be completed on time.  Although the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport brought the action plan in the fiscal year 2019/20 to expand the highway in four years, the project is likely to be extended as the work cannot be completed within the deadline.

The plan to expand the 1,028 km long highway was included in the policies and programmes as well as the budget of the same fiscal year. 

The highway stretches across the country from east to the west and covers 21 districts of six provinces except Karnali Province. However, works have started only in two sections of the 21 districts.

Arjun Jung Thapa, director general of the Department of Roads, informed that the remaining contracts will be awarded in the current fiscal year and the next fiscal year.  So far, upgrading has been started in 200 km section.

These two sections where the works have started include the 113 km Butwal-Narayangadh section and 87 km Kamala-Kanchanpur section of the highway.  The concerned authorities are yet to start work along the remaining 828 km section of the highway.  The Department of Roads is in the process of awarding the remaining contract in the current fiscal year.  Director General Thapa informed that preparations have been made for the contract of Pathalaiya-Dhalkebar-Kamala section this year and the contract of Pathalaiya-Hetauda-Narayangadh section next year.

According to the ministry's action plan, this highway expansion should have been completed in the current fiscal year.  However, Thapa says that the work could not be completed within the stipulated time due to four major reasons including the Covid-19 pandemic.

"It was not easy to move electricity poles and cut trees in the forest areas due to the delay in the getting permission. The impact of the coronavirus pandemic and in some cases the dilly-dallying on part of the construction company also delayed the project," Thapa said, "Now we will start the contract and other works rapidly to complete the project." 

A senior official of the ministry said that it will take another 7/8 years to expand the highway into four lanes. 

The department has made five different packages for the highway and proceeded with the work.  The physical progress of the Kamala-Kanchanpur package with an estimated cost of Rs 15.65 billion has been 30 percent completed so far.  Altogether eight underpasses, two flyovers and 50 bridges will be constructed in this section.  The department aims to complete the work by next October.  

Similarly, in the Narayangadh-Butwal section, where construction has started, a total of 18.44 percent work has been completed so far.  The estimated cost of upgrading this road section is Rs 16.99 billion. 

The source of investment for the expansion of this highway is almost ascertained as the Asian Development Bank (ADB) will invest in three sections and the World Bank will invest in the remaining areas.

Similarly, the World Bank will provide loans for Kamala-Dhalkebar-Pathalaiya section.  The department says that the design, procurement process, DPR and environmental impact assessment are currently being done in these sections.

Similarly, the Butwal-Gorusinge-Chandrauta and Chandrauta-Kohalpur-Gaddachowki sections are also at the stage of DPR and environmental study and selection of consultants.  Due to the lack of inter-agency coordination, there has been a delay in moving the electricity lines for felling trees, but this problem is not present in Narayangadh section.  

The department insists that trees and electricity poles and other infrastructures under the jurisdiction of the road section should be removed quickly and for that a decision should be made through high-level coordination committee.  According to the department, an investment of Rs 64 billion is needed for the 130 km long Kamala-Dhalkebar-Pathalaiya section.  

Inaugurated by the then King Mahendra in 2019, this highway is one of the oldest highways of Nepal. .