Traffic police on Saturday expanded the Babarmahal-Bijulibazaar road, the Gwarko-Satdobato section of the ring road and the Hanumanthan-Kandeuta road in Kupandole by demolishing illegal infrastructures built adjacent to service roads and pavements.[break]
Although locals occupying the service road in Baneshwor managed to stop the traffic police from widening the road for a few hours by snatching away the keys of dozers, they finally backed off after the police warned of using force.
Officials engaged in the drive said demolition of infrastructures, constructed on the service road and pavements, has widened the road sections by up to 15 feet.
Expansion of roads is expected to ease traffic jams. "The improvement in traffic movement can be easily noticed on the newly-widened roads," says Ganesh Raj Rai, chief of MTPD. "Once we blacktop the expanded part of the roads and build pavements, the change will be even more visible."
Earlier, traffic police had widened roads in Kalimati, Lainchaur and Nagpokhari. The MTPD is planning to widen more narrow and congested roads in the coming days.
"We try to find out which part of the busy roads are really narrow and congested," Rai says, adding, "We plan to widen Teku and Thapathali-Maaitighar Mandala roads next week."
Asked about problems faced by pedestrians after the demolition of pavements, Rai said, "We will not leave roads without pavements. Pedestrians will get to walk on new and better pavements very soon."
According to Rai, the MTPD has already awarded a contract to a company to lay black tar on the expanded sections of road and construct new pavements.
The drive for widening the narrow roads was initiated by the MTPD following Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai´s instructions to finds ways to ease the traffic jams in the Valley.
Related story
Road department to hand over valley roads to local governments
