LALITPUR: The long-delayed flyover in Gwarko, Lalitpur, officially came into operation on Friday after 39 months of construction. SSP Nawaraj Adhikari, chief of the Valley Traffic Police Office, inaugurated the flyover by cutting the ribbon Friday afternoon.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli unveiled the commemorative plaque of the project. With the opening, motorists traveling along the Ring Road can now use the new flyover.

Originally scheduled for completion much earlier, the flyover took significantly longer than planned. Construction began in early Falgun 2078 (February 2022) under an Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) model. The contract was awarded to Ashish-Samanantar-Railiger JV at a cost of Rs 170.688 million.

As per the initial agreement, the flyover was to be completed within two years, by Falgun 12, 2080 (February 24, 2024). When the deadline was missed, an extension was granted until Asar 2081 (July 2024), which was also missed. The deadline was then pushed to Poush 9, 2081 (December 24, 2024), but work still did not finish on time.

Finally, from December 25, 2024 onward, the contractor was fined daily for the delay until the project was completed. Despite repeated deadline extensions, the company managed to finish the project only under financial penalties.