Belbari (Morang), 7 February: The construction of the ‘Asian Highway’, which is being carried forward with the main objective of connecting Asian countries through a road network, has started gaining momentum. 12 percent of the work has been completed within a year of the construction agreement. Although it was said that 120 kilometers of road from Kakarbhitta to Laukahi under Asian Highway No. 2 will be upgraded, currently only 95.76 km of road is being worked on with contracts awarded.
The work is being divided into two parts, the eastern section and the western section. The 45 km road from Kakarbhitta to Sitapur will be looked after by the Damak-based office, and the road from Sitapur to Itahari West Pachrukhi will be looked after by the Itahari office. According to both offices, 12 percent of the work has been completed in this one year.
Sunil Babu Pant, head of the Damak office of the project, said that the target is to blacktop at least 20 kilometers of roads within this fiscal year. Similarly, Jagat Prajapati, head of the Itahari office of the project’s western section, also said that the target is to complete the first phase of blacktop of at least 10 kilometers of roads within this fiscal year.
Rajendra Raut, Chairman of the Koshi Province of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, said that the Asian Highway, which connects Nepal to Bangladesh via India in just 27 kilometers, has the potential for international trade. He said that with the operation of the road, imports and exports will become cheaper and rural businesses will be connected to the international market.
The Asian Highway will start from Bangkok, Thailand, pass through Myanmar, Bangladesh, India, and reach Karachi, Pakistan via the East-West Highway from Kakadbhitta, Nepal, via Delhi, India. The road construction work has started on 19th Magh with the financial support of the Asian Development Bank, with a plan to complete the construction in three years. The project is estimated to cost 300 million US dollars.
A total of 48 bridges, both small and large, and 10 overpasses will be constructed within the contracted 95.76 km road section. 21 bridges are being constructed in the eastern section, while 92 out of 140 box culverts are being constructed, said Pant, the project’s eastern section chief.
Prajapati, the project’s chief for the western section, said that the foundation work of the three major bridges in the western section, Ratuwa, Bakraha and Lohandra, has been completed. He said that out of 169 box culverts, 47 have been constructed and the rest are under construction. According to him, 35 percent of the earth filling work has been completed.
So far, more physical progress has been made in the forest area than in the urban area. Overpasses will be built in Charali, Birtamod, Charpane in Jhapa, Baliya in Morang, and Itahari Chowk East, Itahari Chowk and Itahari Chowk West in Sunsari. Prajapati says that electricity poles are obstructing the road construction, but coordination is being done with the Electricity Authority for its early management.
The road to be constructed in three categories is divided into market areas, forest areas and rural areas. The road will be 50 meters wide in the market area, 24 meters wide in the forest area and 33 meters wide in the rural area. The urban area will be constructed with cycle lanes, footpaths and drains. ‘Signature’ bridges will be constructed at six locations. Chinese companies are constructing the road along with Nepal’s Kalika and Tungi Construction.
