The 800-metre underpass, which is currently being built between Khasibazaar and Bafal Chowk along the Ring Road, is expected to come into operation within five months, according to project officials. 

Niranjan Sharma, engineer at the Kathmandu Ring Road Improvement Project (KRRIP), said the construction works are in final stage. “The road will open to the public in mid-July. It will significantly reduce traffic jams in the area,” said Sharma.

The under construction four-lane underpass in Kalanki is the part of the 10.5-km Kalanki-Koteshwor stretch along the Ring Road. There will be separate service lanes—one each for vehicles moving on each direction—on the upper deck of the underpass. 

The construction works, which were started in 2013, were disrupted due to shortage of construction materials, the devastating earthquake in 2015 and Indian trade blockade that triggered an acute shortage of fuel in the country.  

Kalanki Chowk, the main transit point of Kathmandu Valley, is notorious for traffic jams. The construction of the underpass, which started in 2015, has led to more congestions along the route, adding more woes to the commuters. 

The Chinese contractor Shanghai Construction Group is carrying out the road expansion works at a good pace, said the project officials. Over 60 percent of the works on the 10.5-km stretch has been completed. The project, which was originally scheduled to be completed by 2017, was delayed due to the earthquake in 2015 and India’s trade embargo,  the officials added.