The Narayangadh-Muglin road has started to sink at various parts just four months after it was upgraded.

The road has suffered damage at Bhateri, Satra Kilo and Bhalu Dhunga areas due to issues in rock anchor system which was built 15 years ago, said Shiva Khanal, engineer of Narayangadh-Muglin Road Project.

“The rods used in the anchorage system might have slipped from their places in Satra Kilo and Bhalu Dhunga areas. We will identify the problems and fix them after Tihar festival,” he added.

At Satra Kilo area, the damage is so severe that vehicles have to take turn to pass, one-way traffic at a time. A 100-meter section of the road at Bhalu Dhunga has also developed several cracks.

The 33.2km upgraded Narayangadh-Muglin road opened for round-the-clock traffic movement in June. The project works began in 2015.

The problem started within a month when a 150-metre road stretch at Bhateri forest area caved in. It was later found out that the construction company had used loose soil to widen the road. The road sank under the weight of vehicles.

Though the project officials had instructed the construction company to immediately fix the road, the latter did not comply.

The Narayangadh-Muglin road, a major road linking Kathmandu with other parts of the country, accounts for 90 percent of Nepal’s total international trade traffic. Around 20,000 vehicles ply the road daily.

The road was said to have been upgraded to the Asian Highway Standards by increasing its 5.5 metres width to 9-11 metres and by addressing various road safety, axle-load control and environmental sustainability issues. But with the road falling apart within months of completion, there is much left to be desired for it to be compared with the highways of other countries.