Gwarko overpass becomes operational after four-year wait

KATHMANDU, JUNE 21: The Gwarko overpass in Lalitpur officially came into operation on Friday after nearly four years of delay. In the presence of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Friday, the project was formally inaugurated after Senior Superintendent of Police Nawaraj Adhikari, head of the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office, cut the ribbon.

Although the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport had planned for Prime Minister Oli to cut the ribbon, he instead requested that the traffic police officer do so, highlighting their dedication to managing traffic. PM Oli unveiled the curtain covering the inauguration plaque himself, which mentions that he inaugurated the overpass.

Following the inauguration of the overpass, PM Oli wrote on social media, "Traffic police work tirelessly day and night to manage road congestion. They go through a lot of hardship and effort to maintain smooth traffic. Today, I had the opportunity to witness Senior Superintendent of Police Nawaraj Adhikari inaugurating the Gwarko overpass."

Oli also remarked that Nepal has now transformed from a remote country into a more accessible one. He said, "We have not given up—we have already turned a remote country into an accessible one." He also mentioned that drinking water has now reached even the remote hills of the country. The overpass is Nepal’s first of its kind.

This overpass is the first of its kind in Nepal. Earlier, only an underpass existed at Kalanki within the Ring Road. The overpass stretches 320 meters toward Koteshwor and 180 meters toward Satdobato, featuring a 35-meter-long four-lane bridge.

Since December 24, the company had been working, incurring a daily penalty of Rs 85,000. The final deadline to complete the work was set for December 23. As the company failed to meet the deadline, it was fined at a daily rate of 0.05 percent thereafter.

The contract to build the Gwarko overpass was signed with the contractor company on February 24, 2022. The total contract amount was set at Rs 170.688 million. Initially, the deadline to complete the project was set for February 23, 2024.

The contractor company failed to complete the construction on time, citing various reasons. As a result, the project's deadline was extended. In the second extension, the final deadline was set for December 23, 2024. However, the work could not be completed within that deadline either.

During construction, a panel wall on the Satdobato side had to be demolished and rebuilt from the foundation. According to the project team, approximately 40 meters of the wall had to be torn down. When destroying the panel wall, the contractor also removed the previously filled soil and refilled the area. Engineers from the Department of Roads noticed a gap in the panel wall on the Satdobato side and instructed the demolition of 40 meters of the structure.

Another overpass to be built on the Ring Road

The Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport has planned to construct another overpass within the Ring Road area in the upcoming fiscal year 2025/86. According to a senior official from the ministry, either Satdobato or Ekantakuna has been identified as the potential site for this new project. If the Ministry of Finance confirms the availability of funds, the ministry will initiate the construction process. The official further mentioned that a tender could be announced within the same fiscal year.