KATHMANDU, June 30: “Find the contractor responsible for shifting these electricity poles and bring him here. If he does not work, break his legs; I don’t care.”
The strong remark by Minister for Infrastructure Development Sunil Lamsal during an on-site inspection of the under-construction Nagdhunga-Muglin road expansion project on June 14 highlighted growing frustration over delays. Lamsal made the comment while expressing anger at the contractor’s failure to remove electricity poles obstructing the road expansion works. The statement later sparked controversy and drew criticism against the minister.
But despite the minister’s warning, the expansion of the Nagdhunga-Muglin road section—one of the country’s most important highways connecting the capital with the rest of the country—has yet to pick up the expected pace.
Of the 94.66-kilometer road being upgraded with an estimated cost of Rs 11.43 billion under concessional loan assistance from the World Bank, two sections have achieved less than 50 percent physical progress. With the monsoon already underway, the delay has raised concerns that the highway could face further disruptions from floods and landslides, affecting daily commuters and connectivity to Kathmandu.
According to the latest project details, the Nagdhunga-Muglin road expansion has been divided into three sections. While the Nagdhunga-Naubise section has shown encouraging progress, the remaining two sections are moving slowly and remain far from completion.
Six sections of Jomsom-Korala road completed
The 12.26-kilometer Nagdhunga-Naubise section has achieved 84 percent physical progress. Jiangsu-Sagun JV signed the contract on April 12, 2022, and began construction on May 30, 2022. The section, estimated to cost around Rs 1.3 billion, has completed first-layer blacktopping in most areas except the landslide-affected Jhyaple Khola section. Construction of disability-friendly overhead bridges and other structures in Khatri Pauwa and Naubise has reached the final stage, while slab stabilization work is underway at Jhyaple Khola to control landslides.
However, the longest section of the project—Naubise-Malekhu—has seen only 42 percent progress so far. The 43.54-kilometer section was awarded to JICG-Sharma-Lama JV on April 27, 2022, under a Rs 5.33 billion contract. The contractor said blacktopping is being prioritized in high-traffic areas such as Dharke Bazaar. The project office also said a separate climbing lane has been constructed on uphill sections to ease the movement of heavy vehicles. Of the 13 bridges planned in this section, only a few have come into operation.
The third section, Malekhu-Muglin, stretches 38.86 kilometers and has achieved only 43 percent progress. Sharma-JICG JV signed the contract on December 30, 2022, at a cost of Rs 4.8 billion. Blacktopping work is currently underway in Kurintar, Phisling, Charaundi, and Bishaltar areas.
The project office said construction of four bridges over the Khahare, Chiraudi, Gomati, and Hugdi rivers is more than 90 percent complete, with preparations underway for their handover.
Under the original agreement, the Nagdhunga-Naubise section should have been completed by June if construction had progressed as planned. Meanwhile, the Naubise-Malekhu and Malekhu-Muglin sections, where progress remains below half, are scheduled for completion by mid-November. However, with both major sections still below 50 percent completion, doubts have emerged over whether the project will meet its deadline.
Around 13,000 vehicles travel along the highway every day. The delay in expansion work has forced thousands of passengers to continue facing difficult and risky journeys.
Once completed, the Nagdhunga-Muglin road expansion project is expected to reduce travel time, improve road safety, and make freight transportation smoother along one of Nepal’s busiest highways.
Meanwhile, despite Minister Lamsal’s directive to remove electricity poles along the expanded road section, the contractor has not yet started the work. The Nepal Electricity Authority separately awards contracts for shifting such poles.
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