The two-day conference also urged Nepal to erect road signals that identify Asian Highway on 1,400 km of roads of Asian standard across the country.
“The conference has directed us to immediately erect the name and signals of Asian on all Asian standard roads and upkeep the standard of the Asian Highway. We will complete the process of posting signs of Asian Highway and improve the degraded sections on Asian standard roads by 2011,” Tulsi Prasad Sitaula, joint secretary at the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works (MoPPW), told myrepublica.com on Sunday.
The meeting also asked Nepal to upgrade 15 km missing link in Tanakpur-Mahendranagar Road, 18 km in Laukahi-Bhantabari in Eastern Nepal and construct the Chatara bridge as per the Asian Highway standard.
Flood had destroyed both roads links and Chatara bridge, degrading the standard of roads in some parts of eastern and far-western Nepal.
Sitaula said the upgradation works of Laukahi-Bhantabari and Tanakpur-Mahendranagar were estimated to cost Rs 400 million and Rs 300 respectively and the construction of bridge Chatara bridge over the Koshi River is estimated to cost Rs 700 million.
A road must be at least two-lane with blacktopped structure to meet the standard of Asian Highway.
Of the total 141,000 km Asian Highway across Asia, around 11,000 km road sections have failed to meet the Asian strand. Nepal has about 1,400 km roads that meet Asian Highway standard.
Sitaula said Nepal proposed to increase the number of dry ports in Nepal to facilitate trans-border transport with other countries.
The conference also decided to develop transport policies and decision-making frameworks based on strategic assessments of economic, environment, social and poverty-related aspects.
As per the declaration issued at the end of the conference, the 32-country bloc would give priority to investment in the Asian Highway, Trans-Asian Railway networks -- including inter-modal interfaces with water and air transport - increase access of people in rural areas to transport infrastructure and services and place road safety on high agenda.
The conference also emphasized on need for developing guidelines for minimum standards and code of conduct for freight forwarders, multi-modal transport operators and logistics service providers; promote the access of rural population to main transport networks and services; promote environmentally sustainable transport through efficient freight logistics and modal shifts in freights and passenger transport; and set road safety goals and indicators through networking among national and sub-regional organizations.
Ring Road upgradation on cards
The government is doing groundwork to upgrade inner Ring Road to four-lane road, keeping in view the worsening traffic congestion in the Valley.
Tulsi Prasad Sitaula, joint secretary at the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works (MoPPW), said the 27-km road will be upgraded to four-lane from existing two-lane, along with four-meter wide divider, service terraces and drainages.
“Chinese government has agreed to provide $8 million dollar to upgrade the inner Ring Road and strengthen internal linkages between different points of the capital,” Sitaula told myrepublica.com.
The government had requested China for $200 million to complete the project.
The improvement of Ring Road is expected to lessen traffic congestion by ensuring easier flow of traffic along the Ring Road.
Sitaula also said the Department of Roads doing groundwork to construct five flyovers at different places including Balaju and Satdobato from the government resources.
“The length of flyovers ranges from 750 meters to one kilometer and the estimated construction cost is likely to hover around Rs 200 million,” he added.
prabhakar@myrepublica.com
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