The five-kilometre Koteshwor-Ekantakuna road segment under the first phase of the Kathmandu Ring Road Improvement Project (KRRIP) is all set to come into operation by mid-June.

With 95 percent of works completed, according to KRRIP officials, commuters will soon have a hassle-free travel along this eight-lane segment.

Blacktopping of the Koteshwor-Gwarko stretch has been completed, said project officials. “Over 95 percent work has been completed along this section,” said Ramesh Kumar Disti, one of the project engineers. 

A bridge at Balkumari has already come into operation. However, railings on both sides are yet to be installed and painting is still to be completed. Other three bridges along the road section—one at Khasibazaar and two at Balkhu—will also soon come into operation, said officials. The contractor has been asked to speed up blacktopping works along the Gwarko-Ekantakuna stretch, they said. 

“The Chinese contractor, Sanghai Construction Group, has assured that the works will be completed within the stipulated time,” informed Disti. 

Similarly, an overhead bridge for pedestrians at Koteshwor also has already come into operation from this week while works on other two overhead bridges at Gwarko and Bagdol are in the last phase, according to officials. 

The first phase of the Kathmandu Ring Road Improvement Project is being executed with Chinese assistance to widen the two-lane road to eight lanes along with separate lanes for bicycles. 

The Department of Roads and Shanghai Construction Group had reached an agreement in December 2012 to expand the 10-km Koteshwor-Kalanki stretch along the Ring Road. 

The project, launched in June 2013, was expected to be completed in 2017. But the completion date was pushed further by a year to July 2018 due to the shortage of construction materials, the devastating earthquakes of 2015 and fuel crisis in the wake of the Indian blockade. 

The Chinese contractor resumed works in January last year. Meanwhile, the remaining 5.39-km stretch will be completed by July 31, 2018, as more time will be needed to complete the 8-metre underpass between Khasibazaar and Bafal.