The newly widened four-lane Narayangadh-Muglin road is still witnessing traffic bottlenecks as the bridges along the route are still of two-lane capacity.

There are 18 bridges along Narayangadh-Muglin road, and they must either be replaced or widened to ensure smooth flow of traffic, said Suman Ghimire, a Chitwan-based tourism entrepreneur.  

“Several of these bridges have worn out over time. It is high time that they are replaced for safety reasons as well,” he said.

According to the officials of Narayangadh-Muglin Road Project, four new bridges are currently under construction while preparations are underway for the construction and improvement of remaining 14 bridges.

“The construction of four new bridges on the Narayangadh-Muglin road commenced from last November. The builders had agreed to complete these bridges within 21 months,” said Rohit Kumar Bisural, the project chief.  

The new bridges are being constructed at Dasdhunga, Khani, Mauri and Jalbire.

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.

Officials claimed the road was 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.