The road expansion in the Valley was initiated last September. Some 200 metres of road has fallen under the expansion drive in Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur districts of the Valley.[break]
Among this, expansion for 80 km in Kathmandu and 20 km in Lalitpur is going on in fast pace. The government is effortful to complete the road expansion within coming mid June in the areas where the infrastructures have been dismantled.
The road expansion though met obstacles in the early phase has been lauded by the city people and the government now.
In this popular campaign of road expansion launched by the government, road department, Kathmandu Valley road expansion project, and road divisions of Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur have extended full support and cooperation to the government, working in various 47 roads.
Some roads are being expanded by the Kathmandu Metropolis and Kathmandu Municipal Development.
The Ministry of Physical Planning and Works has claimed that 50 percent of the road extension has completed in terms of removing telephone poles and electric wires, making walls, placing drain pipes, graveling and blacktopping.
Of the budget Rs2.50 billion allocated for the expansion by the Finance Ministry, fifty percent has been released so far.
However, clear demarcation of road has been a challenge in the widening drive.The government has planned to expand 122 roads in the Valley which consist some 400 meter length.
As the government failed to expedite the removal of obstructions in the roads in the pace it destroyed infrastructures, people are bound to walk in muddy and dusty roads in the rainy and winter seasons respectively.
The destroyed infrastructures are still creating hurdles in public transportation in many parts of the Valley.
In course of the broad road drive, the government officials have monitored the work in various places and directed the concerned departments to improve where necessary.
In this connection, Minister for Physical Planning and Works and Transport Management, Hridayesh Tripathi also visited Satdobato, New Baneshwor, Dilli Bazar, Gauridhara, Dhumbarahi, Mitrapark in the Valley.
Following the inspection, Minister Tripathi remarked that the road expansion was satisfactory. He claimed that that the people in the capital city have extended tremendous help in this regard.
He added that government was for standard roads so that even the foreigners would be attracted when visiting Nepal. Construction of big roads also manifests how the domestic human power was able to construct exemplary roads, Minister Tripathi argued.
Ministry Secretary Tulsi Prasad Sitaula said blacktopping would be begun after cold season to maintain quality.
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