The government has moved ahead with another section of the long-delayed Kathmandu Ring Road widening project, with the road division office inviting bids to widen a one-kilometre stretch from Chappal Karkhana to near the Dhobikhola bridge.

The tender was called on July 16, with the deadline set for August 6. The estimated cost of the project is around Rs510 million, according to Subodh Kumar Devkota, chief of the Road Division Office, Kathmandu.

Devkota said construction could begin before Dashain if the contract is awarded on schedule.

The section will be upgraded into an eight-lane road, including service lanes. The contractor will have 18 months from the date of agreement to complete the work.

The widening will extend up to 200 metres before the Dhobikhola bridge, towards Sukedhara. Devkota said the additional stretch has been included because a new bridge over the Dhobikhola requires construction of a new approach road.

“A study is underway to build a new bridge over the Dhobikhola. We are preparing to award the contract within the current fiscal year,” he said. “Once the bridge is built, the remaining 200 metres of road will also be completed.”

The 27-kilometre Ring Road widening project, however, remains far from complete. Only 11.09 kilometres have been upgraded so far, while uncertainty continues over the remaining 15.91 kilometres.

Work on a roughly 600-metre section between Basundhara and Narayan Gopal Chowk has stalled due to legal complexities in demolishing houses and other structures along the road.

China had earlier held discussions with Nepal’s government to widen the Ring Road section from Kalanki to Narayan Gopal Chowk. However, Beijing stepped back after encountering challenges in clearing buildings and other structures along the route.

China is now moving ahead only with plans to widen the section from Kalanki to near the Basundhara culvert. Preparatory work is being carried out accordingly.

Meanwhile, Nepal has already completed the 700-metre third section of the Ring Road widening using its own resources. The section from Narayan Gopal Chowk to Chappal Karkhana was completed within 13 months.

According to the Road Division Office, the section was upgraded into an eight-lane road with service lanes.

A separate study for constructing a new bridge over the Dhobikhola will determine the estimated construction cost. Devkota said the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is studying the Chabahil-Pingalasthan section to assess possible solutions.

“JICA has been studying this section for the past six months. The final report will show whether a flyover or tunnel would be suitable,” he said.

The government has also allocated funds this fiscal year to study the possibility of constructing an underpass from Basundhara to Bhatbhateni near Narayan Gopal Chowk. Devkota said the study is expected to be completed within the current fiscal year.

The need for widening has grown as traffic pressure continues to increase on the Ring Road. According to the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office, heavy traffic volume has contributed to frequent congestion.

The Narayan Gopal Chowk-Dhobikhola bridge section could have been included in the third phase of widening, but budget limitations prevented the work from moving ahead. The Road Division Office has now classified it as the fourth section and invited bids accordingly.

The first phase of the Ring Road widening began in 2012, covering the 10.4-kilometre Koteshwor-Kalanki section. China completed the project and handed it over to the Nepal government in January 2019. The section was built with a Chinese grant of Rs5 billion.

Eight years after completing the first phase, Nepal is finally preparing to begin the second phase, covering the 8.2-kilometre Kalanki-Basundhara section.

Nepal and China signed a government-to-government agreement for the widening in 2018. However, progress was delayed after the Chinese side insisted that preparatory work be completed before deploying its construction team.

The Covid-19 pandemic further pushed back the timeline.

The second section will now be widened with a Chinese grant. The Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport said China will provide around Rs11 billion for the project.

Arjun Prasad Aryal, chief of the Development Cooperation Implementation Division under the Department of Roads, said the Chinese side is in the final stage of completing the design and construction is expected to begin before Dashain.