MUSTANG, Dec 14: The national pride project, the Kali Gandaki Corridor (Beni–Jomsom–Korala) road, has incurred an expenditure of Rs 8.2 billion so far. Out of the total proposed cost of Rs 10.57 billion, about 82 percent of the budget had been spent by the end of fiscal year 2024/25, according to the project office.
The north–south trade route connecting India and China has completed track opening along the entire 202-kilometer stretch from Maldhunga in Parbat to the Nepal–China border at Korala. The project has so far completed 94 kilometres of gravel road, 88 kilometres of blacktopped road, and construction of 14 bridges.
Six sections of Jomsom-Korala road completed
The project aims to upgrade the full 202 kilometres of road, blacktop 105 kilometres, and construct 19 bridges in total. As several sections still require blacktopping and fresh contracts, the project’s completion deadline is expected to be revised. Officials estimate that if the road is fully blacktopped up to Korala, the total project cost could exceed Rs 15 billion.
For the current fiscal year 2025/26, Rs 681.3 million has been allocated for road works, of which 34.88 percent has been spent in the first four months. Landslide control, bridge construction, and realignment of disputed road sections remain key challenges for the project.
