The task of determining the centre line for the expansion of the Tribhuvan Highway’s main road began in Birgunj on Tuesday.

Madan Mohan Kumar Singh, an engineer at the Road Division Office in Hetauda, said technicians from the office are working alongside staff from the Birgunj Survey Office, Birgunj Metropolitan City, the District Administration Office and the District Police Office in Makwanpur.

Singh said the process of identifying the official highway boundaries and installing steel pegs began following a joint meeting of stakeholders held at the Birgunj Metropolitan City office.

Bhola Prasad Sah, another engineer at the office, said measurements started from the Gandak canal area and the marking of both the left and right sides of the highway up to the Sugar Mill had been completed by Tuesday. He added that the office is measuring 25 metres on both sides from the centre line of the highway, in line with official standards.

A week earlier, although some roadside structures had been removed as part of the expansion drive, local property owners remained confused as the exact centre line of the road had not been clearly defined. Many residents were uncertain about how much of their structures needed to be cleared.

On April 19 and 20, the Road Division Office used bulldozers to remove huts and buildings along the stretch from Gandak to the customs office area. During those two days, preliminary demolition work was carried out on around 1,200 structures. Property owners of the marked areas have since been instructed to carry out the remaining demolition work themselves.