Collecting details to expand Suryabinayak-Dhulikhel road begins

The process to expand the Suryabinayak-Dhulikhel road under the Araniko Highway has begun. Under the expansion of the road, the collection of details about the road has started, said the Suryabinayak-Sindhuli-Bardibas project office.

Separate agreements had already been struck to complete the project in two phases with the completion deadline of three years. Constructed 25 years ago, in the first phase, the road will be expanded from Sanga to Dhulikhel, and from Sanga to Suryabinayak in the second phase.

Out of the total 15.5 km road to be expanded in the first phase, Lama Construction has won the contract to complete 8.4 km road from Sanga to Dhulikhel. The contract was done to complete the project at the cost of over Rs 4.5 billion, said Spokesperson for the Department of Roads, Bhimarjun Adhikari.

In the second phase, an agreement was reached to complete 7.5 km Suryabinayak-Sanga road at the cost of over Rs 3.8 billion, said the Department.

For the project, the project office has written to four local levels within the project site to help collect details about the road in line with the set standards. Removing buildings and structures built violating the road standards has begun, according to the office. The road will be expanded to six lanes, said the project's senior divisional engineer Radhika Prajapati.

Following the road expansion completion, the project is expected to ease traffic congestion, said Mayor of Banepa Municipality Shanti Ratna Kayastha.

Separate bidding will be announced to construct bridges along the road, said the project office. Estimated cost to construct bridges is Rs 9 million.

According to the detailed project report, around 1 billion is estimated to acquire 17 ropani of land for the road expansion.

Earlier, the project office issued a public notice to remove buildings and structures built in violation of the road standards along the Suryabinayak-Dhulikhel road within 35 days. The Road Division, Bhaktapur in 2076 BS asked for the chopping down of trees along the road.