Construction of the proposed fast track connecting Dhangadhi in Kailali to Urai Bhanjyang on the Nepal–China border began two decades ago but work remains sluggish and the project is nowhere near completion. The project was conceived to link the hills of Sudurpaschim with the Tarai.

The Dhangadhi–Khutiya–Dipayal–Chainpur–Urai Bhanjyang fast track aims to reduce the distance between the plains and hill districts by nearly half and improve connectivity to remote areas. But the project has failed to gain momentum and has remained a recurring electoral issue in successive parliamentary elections.

The road begins at Hasanpur in Dhangadhi and is planned to pass through Khutiya, BP Nagar, Dipayal in Doti, and Chainpur in Bajhang before reaching Urai Bhanjyang, a high-altitude Himalayan pass located at around 5,207 metres above sea level on the Nepal–China border.

The pass has historically served as a vital trade route between Bajhang and Tibet, facilitating the exchange of salt, wool and grains, and it remains strategically important for regional connectivity and trade.

Engineer Shashank Mishra, the project's chief, admits that the work has been limited to only a few sections so far. Blacktopping is currently underway along a 20-kilometre stretch from Khutiya towards BP Nagar and a 13-kilometre stretch from Dipayal towards BP Nagar. He expressed happiness that the Hasanpur–Khutiya section of the road has already been blacktopped.

Seven bridges are also under construction, with five expected to be completed this fiscal year. However, construction has not yet begun on the Dipayal–Chainpur section, he added.

The project was initiated to integrate remote hill districts into the national road network by reducing the distance between the hills and the plains. At present, travelling from Dhangadhi to Dipayal via Dadeldhura requires covering around 180 kilometres. Once completed, the fast track will reduce the distance to about 95 kilometres.

The original Khutiya–Dipayal fast track was surveyed in 2008, covering 82 kilometres. Later, an additional 10 kilometres was added from Syauli to Dhangadhi, bringing the total planned fast track length between Dhangadhi and Dipayal to 92 kilometres. In 2016, the project was expanded and renamed the Dhangadhi–Khutiya–Dipayal–Chainpur–Urai Bhanjyang road.

The detailed project report (DPR) prepared in 2008 estimated the cost of completing the project at Rs9.15 billion. Of this, Rs5.94 billion is estimated for the Dipayal–Patihalne section, Rs2.98 billion for the Khutiya–Dipayal section, and Rs228.2 million for the Dhangadhi–Khutiya section.

However, the DPR for the Chainpur–Urai Bhanjyang section has not yet been completed, Mishra said. So far, Rs1.77 billion has already been spent on the project.

Budget shortages have emerged as a major obstacle to timely completion. Only Rs150 million has been allocated for the project in the current fiscal year, which is insufficient, officials say.

“The project currently has liabilities of Rs500 million to Rs550 million, but only Rs150 million has been allocated,” Mishra said. “The lack of adequate budget has made it difficult to award new contracts.”

He added that if sufficient funding is made available, the project could be completed within five to seven years. Currently, work is underway under three major contracts for road and bridge construction.

The fast track is expected to significantly improve access to markets, healthcare, education, administrative services, and economic opportunities in the hill districts of Doti, Achham, Bajura and Bajhang by eliminating the need to travel via Dadeldhura.

The project has also become a major electoral agenda in Sudurpaschim Province. Former chief minister Trilochan Bhatta, who is contesting the House of Representatives election from Doti, has pledged to prioritise the construction of the fast track up to Urai Bhanjyang and develop it into a trilateral corridor connecting India and China.

Similarly, CPN-UML candidate Prem Bahadur Ale from Kailali-5 claimed to have prioritised the project. He had made it a key agenda item in previous elections. Other candidates, including Nepali Congress leader Nar Narayan Shah and UML candidate Yagya Raj Dhungana, have also included the fast track in their election manifestos.

Many candidates in the 2022 elections campaigned on promises to complete the project but failed to deliver, leaving residents of Sudurpaschim still waiting for improved connectivity and development.