The government plans to construct two separate underpasses in New Baneshwor and Maharajgunj. This plan follows the construction of the Kalanki underpass that is in its final stage of completion.

Department of Road (DoR) Spokesperson Mukti Gautam said, “The office has already started a process of hiring a consultancy for feasibility study and to make a Detailed Project Report (DPR).

“We will receive the DPR within this fiscal year and the construction start next fiscal year.”

The project will be completed by 2020.

The under pass in Baneshwor will start from Bijulibazaar and extend up to Shantinagar. There will be a separate cross road in the upper part for vehicles coming from Purano Baneshwor and heading to Sankhamul.

Earlier, the government had planned to construct a flyover in both places to better manage the traffic.

 “With no possibility of flyover, the concept of underpass has come forth,” said Gautam.

The government has decided to construct the underpasses from its own resources.

New Baneshwor junction is the main point that links with six-lane road between Kathmandu and Bhaktapur.

Meanwhile, the Chinese government has shown interest in funding the second phase of Ring Road expansion of 17-km stretch linking Maharajgunj, including other places starting from Kalanki, and ending at Koteshwor.

“If China wants to make underpass in Maharajgunj, it won’t matter, we can give our DPR, but it’s very necessary to make underpass to control ongoing traffic jam,” said Gautam.

The underpass in Maharajgunj will give relieve to people travelling through Lazimpat, Budhanilakantha and in Chakrapath area.

The 800-metre underpass between Khasibazaar and Bafal Chowk, announced to be completed within five months, is being constructed under Kathmandu Ring Road Improvement Project with the aid of Chinese government.

This is not the first time the government moots a plan to build new infrastructure to resolve the increasing traffic problem in the area. The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) in 2016 had earmarked Rs 5million to build overhead bridges in the areas. 

The plan to construct the overhead bridge in New Baneshwor could not proceed due to the security reason, as the International Convention Center that housed Constituent Assembly and Parliament was too near to it.

Talking to the Post, KMC Mayor Bidya Sundar Shakya said, the metropolis has been consulting with the DoR for the construction of underpass. “The metropolis alone cannot sustain its budget, so, the metropolis is coping with DoR,” said Shakya.