KATHMANDU: Traffic will be completely halted until Baisakh 31 (May 14) in the Daunne area of the Narayangadh–Butwal road section to expedite road expansion works.

Previously, traffic had been restricted from 11:00 PM to 5:00 AM daily until Baisakh 15 (April 28) to facilitate the roadwork. Now, this restriction will continue until Baisakh 31 (May 14).

According to Bhabishwar Pandey, Chief District Officer of Nawalparasi (Bardaghat Susta East), construction work in the Daunne area requires a few more days of uninterrupted effort. Therefore, daily vehicular movement will be halted from 11:00 PM to 5:00 AM the following morning until Baisakh 31 (May 14).

To carry out necessary maintenance and construction in the Daunne section, vehicular movement is being suspended at night, accelerating the construction work,” Pandey said. “Since rock cutting along the hillside section is still pending, we have decided to completely halt traffic for a few more days to complete it before the rainy season.”

According to Shiva Khanal, Information Officer of the eastern section, ongoing works in the Daunne stretch include rock cutting, wall construction, and culvert installation.

Out of the 114-kilometer Narayangadh–Butwal road, the 65-kilometer stretch from Gaindakot to Daunne features service lanes in market areas. A particularly risky 14-kilometer stretch in Daunne is currently undergoing expansion into a three-lane road.

China State Engineering Corporation, which secured the Rs 17 billion contract for the road construction, has already requested three deadline extensions. The third extended deadline now runs until Shrawan 8 (July 24), after the company failed to complete the project on time.