Lalitpur Metropolitan City has come up with an ambitious plan to construct five flyovers in the city.

Four flyovers are to be built on different sections of the Ring Road, and one to connect Pulchowk with Kupondole road section, according to a report published by the civic body last week.

“These will be the first flyovers in the country and projects of pride for the city,” said Mayor Chiri Babu Maharjan. “The feasibility study we commissioned has yielded positive results. We will soon work on the detailed project reports,” he added.

Kathmandu Valley doesn’t have a flyover; it only has one underpass, constructed with funding from the Chinese government for the Ring Road Development Project.

“The flyovers will of course decrease accidents and reduce fatalities,” said Maharjan.

The feasibility report, prepared by Grid Indeco Material Test JV, states that flyovers could be constructed in Gwarko, Satdobato, Chapagaun Dobato and Ekantakuna sections of the Ring Road. It states that in Ekantakuna, the city needs to construct “loop flyovers” to accommodate the movement of the Rato Machindranath chariot to Khokana.

One of the five flyovers is to be built on the Koteshwor-Kalanki road section, notorious for traffic accidents. Police reports show that over 1,500 accidents have taken place and over three dozen people have died on the stretch ever since the Chinese government-funded road came into operation two years ago.

Maharjan said that before the feasibility study was commissioned, city officials met officials from the Department of Roads to consult with them about the plan. “I will soon meet the director- general of the Department of Roads to commission the DPR and finish it before my tenure comes to an end,” said Maharjan, who now has two more years to serve.

When asked how the city was going to manage funds for such projects, Maharjan said the city office was quite capable of constructing the flyovers on the Ring Road. “As the road section from Pulchowk to Kupondole is a bit longer, we have to ask the central government or a donor to fund the project,” said the mayor.

“Once we complete the DPR, we won’t have problems building the flyovers,” said Maharjan.

Urban planner Iswar Joshi said the city’s decision to conduct the feasibility study is a good sign. “This is the first attempt by a local government to build flyovers, and it could open the door for other projects in the future if it materialises,” he added.