KATHMANDU: The Nepalese Army has reported that the ongoing obstructions by the locals of Khokna have been hampering the completion of the 70.97 km Kathmandu-Tarai Expressway. Despite seven years since the government entrusted the army to oversee the construction management of the fast track, issues persist in Khokna, the area considered the starting point of the expressway.

According to the army, challenges in Khokna include disputes over the determination of the starting point, decision on vehicle and traffic management, and land acquisition. Locals have been obstructing the project, claiming that the expressway threatens the local heritage.

Brigadier General Bikas Pokharel, chief of the project, stated at a press conference on Thursday that delays in approving the entry point traffic management and the Supplementary Environmental Impact Assessment (SEIA) could jeopardize the project's timely completion. The government has extended the project's deadline multiple times, with the latest deadline set for mid-April 2027.

"We are ready to commence the procurement process once the issues in Khokna are resolved," Pokharel said. The army is focusing on Package 11, covering the 0 km to 6.5 km section of Khokna. Progress in this section has stalled, although 12 other construction packages are ongoing.

The Nepalese Army has continued work in other areas while addressing the issues in Khokna. The army also noted that the Bailey bridge, which was installed in the Khokna section, has become ineffective due to unresolved problems. They have acquired 4,811 ropanis of land for the expressway, with 394 ropanis still pending. Of these, 371 ropanis are in the Khokna-Bungmati section, along with 19 ropanis in Makwanpur and 4 ropanis in Kathmandu.

The army reports that 82.89 percent of work on three of the six tunnels of the expressways has been completed. The remaining 1 km of the 3.32 km Mahadeotar tunnel is expected to be finished this fiscal year, with the army working round the clock. The Dhedre and Lendanda tunnels have been completed. The government aims to finish the Mahadeotar, Dhedre, and Lendanda tunnels by the end of the current fiscal year.

Design and preparation for the remaining three tunnels, added in the revised Detailed Project Report (DPR), are underway. The government has allocated a budget of Rs 22.54 billion for this fiscal year. The total cost of the project is estimated to be around Rs 211 billion, with 89 bridges planned along the expressway. Contracts for 85 of these bridges have been managed and are in progress, while the construction of four bridges is on hold due to land acquisition issues in Khokna. As of the last fiscal year, the project's physical progress stands at 35.38 percent, with financial progress at 36.66 percent.