Minister Dahal Inspects Progress of Mugling-Pokhara Road Project, Calls for Expedited Completion

Minister for Physical Infrastructures and Transportation, Devendra Dahal, conducted an onsite inspection of the under-construction Mugling-Pokhara road project on Friday evening. The inspection covered areas from Aanbookhaireni in Tanahu district, located in the eastern section of the road, to Jamune in Pokhara on the western side. Minister Dahal expressed concerns over the slow progress and directed authorities to expedite the remaining work on the critical infrastructure project.

The Mugling-Pokhara road is being upgraded from a two-lane to a four-lane highway to accommodate the growing traffic. The project is funded by a concessional loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The eastern section of the project, contracted to the China Communications Construction Company, has a budget of over Rs 6.21 billion. The western section, managed by Anhui Kaiyun Highway and Bridge Constructions, has a contract value exceeding Rs 1.4 billion.

During the inspection, Minister Dahal reaffirmed the government’s commitment to addressing any issues hindering the project’s implementation. He urged all parties involved to work diligently to ensure timely completion.

Bishnu Prasad Pandey, an engineer overseeing the eastern section of the Mugling-Pokhara Road Project, reported that the section had achieved 65 percent physical progress. He highlighted that 55 kilometers of the two-lane road had been blacktopped, covering 63 kilometers of one-way road. Pandey also noted that 30 percent of the construction work on the bridge over the Madi River in Damauli had been completed. While some delays affected the blacktopping process in certain areas, issues such as the removal of huts along the road at Dumre and Damauli Bazar have been resolved. To date, 14 small bridges, two large bridges, and 103 culverts have been constructed in this section.

On the western side, progress has been slower. Narayan Paudel, the engineer in charge of the western section, reported that 20 kilometers of the two-lane road from Jamune to Pokhara have been blacktopped. However, overall progress in this section stands at 28 percent. Of the 11 planned bridges, five have been completed, with the superstructures of eight of the proposed 13 bridges also finished.

Minister Dahal’s visit underscores the government’s focus on ensuring that the Mugling-Pokhara road project, a vital artery for transportation in the region, is completed efficiently and without further delays.