The road-widening work along the Butwal-Gorusinge section of the East-West Highway is all set to pick up pace with the forest ministry’s nod to cut roadside trees.

The ministry recently granted permission to clear a total of 7,175 trees to widen the 50km-long Butwal-Gorusinge road section. According to the construction company, the marking of trees for removal is in its final stages. The road widening work will begin shortly after clearing the trees, says the construction company.

With loan assistance from the Asian Development Bank, the 69-km along the East-West Highway will be upgraded to a climate-resilient four-lane road at an estimated cost of Rs35 billion. The road widening work has begun along Butwal-Gorusinge section in the first phase while 19-km Gorusinge-Chandrauta section will be widened in the second phase soon.

A joint venture of Shaanxi Construction Engineering Group of China and Ashish Construction Service of Chitwan were awarded the Butwal-Gorusinge road widening work at a cost Rs 13.55 billion. “Work to mark the roadside trees that need to be felled is underway with the approval of the forest ministry. The construction company will shortly begin cleaning the trees,” said Kushalata Neupane, chief engineer of Butwal-Gorusinge Road Project.

According to Neupane, preparatory works including relocation of electricity poles; construction of a lab to test soil, stone and pebble; and arrangement of heavy construction equipment and materials, are already underway. As per the project agreement, a total of 30 bridges will be constructed along the Butwal-Gorusinge section. Similarly, 149 culverts and six underpasses/overpasses for the safe movement of wildlife will be constructed along the section. The road will be widened to 50 metres in urban areas, 37 metres in the semi-urban areas, and 24 metres in forest areas.

Bijaya Gauli, a representative of Ashish Construction Service JV, said the construction company would complete the widening work within three years. “We will begin construction work on one side of the road soon after the roadside trees and utility poles are removed. As per the project design, construction of side lanes on both sides will be completed first. Then only the central portion of the road will be upgraded,” said Gauli.

The Butwal-Gorusinge is a busy section along the East-West Highway. Hundreds of vehicles ply the section daily. “We will ensure that the road traffic remains uninterrupted during construction,” said engineer Neupane.

There are stretches of forests in various places along the Butwal-Gorusinge-Chandrauta road section. Dense forests are on the northern side across the Tinau bridge in Rupandehi district on both sides of the road from Saljhandi to Gorusinge. These forests are the natural habitat of various wild animals.

Preventing wildlife roadkill has been a major challenge in Nepal where highways traverse through major protected areas. To minimise animal fatalities while crossing the road, Butwal-Gorusinge Road Project includes the construction of six underpasses/overpasses in forested areas.

The government plans to expand the entire East-West Highway into four lanes from the current two lanes. The government has already started widening some other sections of the highway and plans are afoot for others. Multilateral donor agencies including the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank and others have supported the widening and upgrade of different sections of the vital highway that links the country's eastern and western borders.