KATHMANDU, Sept 17: Only 21.18 percent of the physical construction work of Kathmandu-Terai/Madhesh Fast Track has been completed, with the project left with only two years to complete its task.

According to the Development and Technology Committee under the House of Representatives (HoR), Nepal Army (NA) that has been entrusted with the responsibility to construct the express highway has completed only one-fifth of the work in the past six years. The deadline for the construction of the national pride project has been set for November 2024.

Out of the 11 clusters of the work segment, the NA is yet to call for bidding for five clusters. The 10-km long tunnel segment under package 1 and package 2 has been contracted to the Chinese contractors China State Engineering and Poly Chhangda Engineering Company Limited, respectively.

In the roads and bridges construction, Kumar/Roshan/Sichuan JV has received the contract under package 3. Similarly, the construction under package 4 has been contracted to Poly Chhangda Engineering Company. The package 5 work has been assigned to CMCE/SDLQ JV, China.   

For the work under packages 6 and 7, the NA has already called for a bidding and the selection process is underway. The NA is said to have started the documentation process for the works under package 8 and package 9 and will call for bidding in this month while the bidding call for the package 10 has been targeted for the next month.

The package 11 work that includes Khokana of Lalitpur is left uncertain due to the unsolved controversy at the local level. An acquisition of a total of 401 ropanis of land in the area has not been concluded.

The fast track being built with an estimated cost of Rs 175 billion has three tunnels and 87 long and short bridges. The 72.5 km stretch express highway will be the shortest means for the vehicular transport that will connect Madhesh Province. 

 
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