April 14: A 48-kilometer stretch of the Beni-Jomsom-Korala route within the Kaligandaki Corridor has been recently blacktopped. This corridor serves as a vital link between the southern border of India and the northern border of China.

The Kaligandaki Corridor, spanning 435 kilometers from Triveni at the Indian border to the Korala transit point in China, stands as a flagship project of national significance.

Initiated in 2074 BS, the construction of this road project, comprising fourteen segments, has seen the completion of eight sections so far. Dhurba Kumar Jha, the project's head, reports that as of the end of 2080 BS, the physical progress has reached 78 percent.

Within six segments, a total of 85 kilometers of gravel roads and 48 kilometers of blacktopped roads have been completed. Additionally, the construction includes the erection of 13 concrete bridges and three Bailey bridges, with motorable bridges currently being built at six locations.

Jha notes that utilizing DBSD technology, sections such as Kaiku-Khanti in Mustang (16 km), Khanti-Tukuche-Marfa (9 km), Ghasa-Kaikukhola (2 km) in Mustang, Tiplyang-Tatopani (6 km) in Myagdi, Beni-Galeshwar (4 km), and Galeshwar-Begkhola (3 km) have been surfaced with blacktop.

Information officer Bishnu Chapagain affirms that construction companies have been directed to blacktop an additional 13 km stretch from Jomsom to Kagbeni, the Tatopani-Ghasa section, and 6 km of the Marfa-Jomsom section within the current fiscal year.

The estimated cost for the project stands at Rs 10 billion, with approximately Rs 7 billion already spent. -- RSS