The Province 3 government has invited tenders for the upgradation of the 66-km Hetauda-Bhimphedi-Kulekhani-Sisneri-Dakshinkali road.

The upgradation work is a high-priority project for Province 3, with the provincial government aiming to complete construction before completion of the Bhiphedi-Kulekhani Tunnel Highway, as the road stretch is a vital lifeline for people of the hilly areas in Makwanpur district to stay connected to Kathmandu.

“The road upgradation work has already started in some road sections; technicians are also carrying out road survey works in a majority of the road sections,” said Sahadev Bhandari, an engineer at the Ministry for Physical Infrastructures Development in Province-3.

Currently, workers are upgrading six kilometres of the road section from Heavy in Kulekhani to Sisneri. According to Bhandari, the government has invited tender for the 16km-long Bhimphedi-Kulekhani road section. He said, “It is the riskiest road section of the Hetauda-Bhimphedi-Kulekhani-Sisneri-Dakshinkali road stretch. The Bhimphedi-Kulekhani road section currently is narrow with winding bends posing accident risks. We plan to upgrade that road at the earliest possible”

The government plans to widen the road by upto six metres. Currently, the single-lane road is four meters wide. Many parts of the road section is in major need of upgradation, said Tejraj Bhatta, secretary at the Ministry for Physical Infrastructures Development. “The locals of Makwanpur take great risks travelling through this road section due to bad road conditions. That’s why the upgradation works have been kept on high priority.”

The invitation for the tender of Bhiphedi-Kulekhani Tunnel Highway will remain open till mid-March 2020. Bhatta said, “We will blacktop 16 kilometers of the road section and ease vehicular movement till the construction of the tunnel begins.”

On Saturday, Dormani Paudel, chief minister of Province-3, inspected the under-construction Bhimphedi-Kogate-Ipa-Sisneri road section and directed the contractor company to complete the construction work within the deadline. “We plan to divert vehicles through Kantiraj Path and Kogate-Ipa road for the time being,” said Paudel.