The government has decided to construct 61km-long Chepang road which will connect Malekhu of Dhading with Bhandara of Chitwan as an alternative to Narayanghat-Mugling section of the road under the financing of Asian Development Bank (ADB). The proposed road is an important section of the 168km-long Thori-Rasuwagadhi Highway, one of the strategically important roads that connect India with China via Nepali land.

Currently, the Department of Roads has initiated the process of selecting a consultant to prepare the detailed project report (DPR) of the road. The department is planning to sign the contract with the consultant to prepare the DPR within a week. 

The construction of the two-lane road, according Rajendra Pandey, former minister and lawmaker from Dhading, will begin in 2019. Currently, one has to travel 105km to reach Bhandara of Chitwan from Malekhu of Dhading and one of the sections run through difficult terrain built at the bank of Trishuli River. 

Once the construction of the new road is completed, the travel distance will be reduced by 54km. 

“The new road will be the best alternative to Narayanghat-Mugling section of the road,” said Madhusudan Sankhi, engineer of Division Road Office at Gajuri, Dhading. “Time and fuel will be saved due to short distance of the new road.”  The office has even started black topping a 15km road section starting from Malekhu at estimated cost of Rs 150 million. “The black topping will be completed within this fiscal year,” said Sankhi.

Once the road comes into operation, it would reduce the traffic at Narayanghat-Mugling section of the road, said Krishna Sapkota, traffic police of Gajuri, Dhading. The road is also expected to play a crucial role in raising the standard of living of the indigenous Chepang community as it would provide access to various agricultural products of the region. 

It is time to find the alternative to the Narayanghat-Mugling section of the road which is currently under upgradation because, in a few years, it will not be able to accommodate the increasing number of vehicles that pass through that section. 

Currently, around 8000 to 10,000 vehicles pass through that road daily and the number is expected to increase to 15,000 within five years.