MCA-Nepal has signed two contracts worth a total of $23.66 million for road maintenance under the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Nepal Compact.

A $20 million contract was signed with Sharma–Kumar Joint Venture for upgrading the 40 km Dhankhola–Lamahi section of the East-West Highway using full-depth reclamation and superpave technology.

MCA-Nepal also signed a $3.66 million contract with Intercontinental Consultants and Technocrats Pvt. Ltd. for consulting services, including supervision of the Dhankhola–Lamahi upgrade and periodic maintenance of the Narayanghat–Muglin road section.

The contract signing was attended by US Ambassador to Nepal Dean Thompson, MCA-Nepal Executive Director Khadga Bahadur Bisht, joint secretaries from the ministries of finance and physical infrastructure and transport, officials from the Department of Roads, MCA-Nepal board members, and MCC representatives.

The project will construct a 7-meter carriageway with 2.5-meter shoulders on both sides, making the road 12 meters wide. This marks the first use in Nepal of full-depth reclamation and superpave technology.

Addressing the event, Ambassador Thompson said, “The upgrading of the Dhankhola–Lamahi Road project and the Narayanghat–Muglin Road Maintenance project represent much more than individual contracts… they reflect the strength of the US–Nepal partnership, the momentum of the Millennium Challenge Compact, and a shared commitment to delivering tangible results for the people of Nepal.”