Beni-Galeshwar road to be closed for six and half hours daily

MYAGDI, Feb 11: The Beni-Galeshwar road, which is part of the Beni-Jomsom-Korla road section connecting India and China, will be closed for six and a half hours daily.

A meeting chaired by Chief District Officer Tulsi Ram Poudel on Friday made a timetable for traffic movement and closure of the Beni-Galeshwar road section following a written request from the contractor that the road upgradation work was affected due to vehicular movement.

Poudel said that regular movement of vehicles will be allowed on the day of Shivaratri and repairs will also be carried out in some places where needed targeting the festival.

Assistant Chief District Officer Arjun Sharma said that the meeting decided to stop the traffic movement from February 13 to 27 from 6 to 8 in the morning, 11:30 to 1:30 in the afternoon and 8:30 to 11:00 in the night for road upgrading. It has also been decided to allow the movement of emergency vehicles including ambulances and to arrange an alternate route Dallepipal-Rahuwada-Galeshwar for small vehicles.

He said that the road widening work and traffic operation simultaneously will increase the risk of accidents, cause inconvenience to the passengers and also affect the construction schedule.

The Beni-Jomsom-Korla road project under the Kaligandaki Corridor is a national pride project and the contract worth Rs 120 million for this section has been awarded to Jai Dhannajay-Mangladevi-Suwas JV. 

Subas Karki, the representative of the construction company, said that the company has mobilized 85 laborers and three dozers for the upgradation work. The company has been mandated to complete the road widening and upgrading work within two years. It is also mandated to build drains, culverts and retaining walls to prevent landslides.

This three-kilometer road along wards 6, 8, and 9 of Beni Municipality was built in 2053 BS. It is the entry point of the Beni-Jomsom road connecting Mustang through Galeshwar, Raghuganga and Annapurna Rural Municipality, a famous religious site in Myagdi.

The meeting was attended by Surat KC, the mayor of Beni Municipality, representatives of the Beni-Jomsom-Korla road project, construction companies, transport businessmen and chiefs of security agencies. 

Beni Municipality, Raghuganga and Annapurna Rural Municipality as well as Mustang residents, pilgrims and tourists use the road section which is considered the lifeline of Gandaki Province.