KASKI, May 20: Workers are upgrading the road from Harichowk to Yamdi Bridge on the Pokhara section of the under-construction Mid-Hill Highway. They are currently paving this four-lane road with asphalt. According to the Mid-Hill Highway Project Office, they started the asphalt paving work in the second week of Baishakh (mid-April).
So far, workers have completed one-way asphalt paving from Harichowk to Jowari Checkpost. Kiran Subedi, information officer at the Mid-Hill Highway Project Office, said they have finished nearly 1.5 kilometers of one-way paving. He added, "We are currently paving one side of the Harichowk-Yamdi section and plan to complete paving both sides within the current fiscal year."
The project will make the Harichowk-Yamdi road 18 meters wide. Including the drainage system, the project plans a total width of 21 meters. Workers will lay 15-centimeter-thick asphalt pavement on this section.
Blacktopping using asphalt technology starts in western section...
Prolonged delays in the road construction caused many difficulties for travelers on the highway. The slow progress on the 2.2-kilometer road created dust problems in the dry season and muddy conditions during the rainy season, making travel very uncomfortable. When construction slowed, locals protested on the road, demanding faster completion.
Bhanu Bhakta Adhikari from Pokhara Harichowk expressed happiness that workers have finally started paving, despite the delay. He believes travel will become easier now after enduring many hardships due to the unfinished road.
The Mid-Hill Highway Project Office in Parbat signed a contract with Motidan Construction Service Pvt. Ltd. from Kathmandu in Shrawan 2079 BS (mid-July-mid-August 2022) to complete the road upgrade within two years for Rs 480 million, including VAT.
This road, part of the former Pokhara-Baglung highway, carries hundreds of public and private vehicles daily between Pokhara and the districts of Parbat, Baglung, Myagdi, Mustang, and Rukum East.
