KATHMANDU, June 27: A total of 53 kilometers of road section has been blacktopped  under the Mugling-Pokhara highway. The eastern 33 and 20 kilometers of the western sections of the road have been paved.

According to the Mugling-Pokhara Road Extension Office, the remaining part is being worked on rapidly.  So far, 62 percent physical progress has been made in the eastern section and 28 percent in the western section.

Engineer Narayan Paudel of the project office said that since the monsoon will be active from June to October, the construction of structures such as drains, retaining walls, culverts and other structures for water drainage has been halted.

Out of the three major bridges under construction in the eastern section, the one near Dumre Bazar has been completed while the ones near Aanbu Khaireni and Damauli have reached the final stage. An 'Arch Design' bridge is under construction over the Madi River in Tanahun. Likewise, 30 percent of the bridge construction has been completed.

With the help of the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) concessional loan, the construction work is continuing through the Mugling-Pokhara road plan to widen and level the two-lane road from Pokhara to Mugling. With the aim of speedy   completion of the road expansion work, construction has been started by dividing it into two parts. The work of expanding the road to a four-lane road is being done by a Chinese company.

The 39 km area from the Seti Bridge at Prithvi Chowk in Pokhara to Jamune in Tanahun is in the western section. Similarly, the 43 km road from Jamune to Aanbu Khaireni is in the eastern section. The cost of the eastern section of the road is Rs 6.2131 billion. According to the agreement, the project should be completed by next August.

 
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