KATHMANDU, June 18: Paving work on the Dhulikhel–Khawa section of the upgraded Araniko Highway in Kavre has remained suspended for the past two months due to a shortage of bitumen, according to the Bhaktapur Division Road Office.
Although asphalt base paving (DBM) was carried out in March after traffic was restricted at night and operated one way during the day for nearly a month, further work has been halted because of a lack of bitumen.
The first phase of blacktopping covered a 2.5 kilometre stretch on both sides from Dhulikhel Chowk. Following the completion of that phase, the road was reopened to two-way traffic for all vehicles in April.
No mechanism to test quality of bitumen
Senior Divisional Engineer Suman Yogesh said the remaining paving work has been delayed for two months due to the shortage of bitumen. He noted that while the first layer of DBM blacktop has been completed, the final asphalt layer is yet to be applied.
According to Yogesh, work on the remaining section of the four-kilometre road was scheduled to begin in the first week of April, but the lack of raw materials forced the project to stop.
To keep travel manageable, crews are currently filling potholes along the unpaved stretch. The remaining 1.5 kilometres will be paved in the second phase once bitumen imports resume. The work includes laying a 20 centimetre cement stabilized base and applying two layers of blacktop, DBM and asphalt.
The road expansion project had been delayed for a long period due to negligence by the previous contractor. The upgrade gained momentum again after a new contract was signed with a construction company last November.
The road office said it awarded the contract to C N A One Kali JV for Rs 315.6 million, excluding VAT, with a target of completing the project by next January. After blacktopping is finished, slope stabilization and other minor works will be carried out.
The office had earlier terminated its contract with Gauri Parvati Construction Service after the company failed to complete the project within the agreed timeframe.
The contract was cancelled on February 27, 2025, after the contractor had failed to complete even 25 percent of the work, despite being 11 months past the deadline. The company had originally signed the contract on June 3, 2022, with a completion target of March 31, 2024.
The road section is part of the Araniko Highway, the main route connecting Nepal to the northern border point at Tatopani in Sindhupalchok and serving as a key corridor to Dolakha, Ramechhap and other eastern hill districts.
