Work on upgrading the Kamala-Kanchanpur section of the East-West Highway to four lanes, has gained momentum after the government’s decision to extend the project deadline by a year. With this extension, the contractor has accelerated work on the western stretch of the 86.82 km section on March 15.

China Railway No 2 Engineering Group secured the contract for the work on October 29, 2020, worth Rs15.66 billion. The project is divided into two sections: the western stretch, covering 47.4 km from Kamala in Siraha to Kusaha in Saptari, and the eastern stretch, covering 39.42 km from Kusaha to Kanchanpur. As per the contract with the government, the entire section was supposed to be completed by October 28, 2023.

However, due to delays in construction, the government first extended the deadline to December 25, 2024. As of now, only 55.76 percent of the work on the western stretch and 51.74 percent on the eastern stretch has been completed, mainly due to the contractor’s slow pace. After the contractor committed to employing additional manpower, the government granted a second extension, pushing the completion date to December 31, 2025.

After the deadline extension, the construction on the western stretch gained new momentum starting March 2, with the contractor adopting new methods and a revised team. “Work has never stopped, but at times, progress slowed due to various reasons,” said Ujjwal Shrestha, chief of the Kamala-Kanchanpur road project, western stretch. “Now, the contractor has started working with a new team and new approaches.” To date, 23.03 km of the western stretch has been paved, and 18 out of 25 bridges are completed. Seven more are still under construction.

In addition, preparations are underway to start work on an overpass in Mirchaiya within a week. However, progress has been hindered in Lahan due to the obstruction of Shaheed Stambha, a martyrs memorial pillar at a roundabout, which has yet to be removed.

Another challenge has been the removal of electricity poles. While the poles in Mirchaiya have been relocated, those in Bandipur, Golbazar, and Lahan have not been removed, and this has delayed the project. “Despite repeated requests, the poles have not been removed yet,” Shrestha complained. “They remain a major obstacle.”

The shortage of river-based materials is also raising concerns about further delays. To complete the remaining work, 400,000 cubic metres of river-based materials are required, but the contractor currently has only 20,000 cubic metres in stock. This stock will last for approximately 15 days. Shrestha explained that requests have been made to the municipalities of Dhangadhi and Lahan to extract materials from the Sarre and Khutti rivers, but no agreement has been reached yet.

“If the current pace continues, the project will be completed within the extended deadline,” Shrestha said. “However, the shortage of river-based materials remains a serious concern, and all stakeholders must take responsibility to resolve this issue, as this is a national pride project.”

On the eastern section of the highway, construction work is set to pick up pace from March 25. While work has been ongoing, it will intensify after the next week, according to Niraj Shakya, chief of the Kamala-Kanchanpur road project, eastern section.

So far, 51.74 percent of the work on the eastern section has been completed, and Shakya remains confident that the remaining work will be completed within the newly set timeframe. However, like the western section, material shortages and the removal of electricity poles remain major issues.

“The contractor is now motivated to work at full speed, but we need to create a conducive environment for them,” Shakya said. “We are coordinating with all relevant authorities, and with everyone’s cooperation, the project can be completed on time.”