The construction of the ‘Asian Highway,’ initiated with the primary goal of connecting Asian nations through a road network, has begun to gain momentum.
In one year since the construction agreement was signed, 12% of the work has been completed. Although it was initially planned to upgrade a 120-kilometer road from Kakarbhitta to Laukahi under Asian Highway No. 2, contracts have only been awarded for 95.76 kilometers so far, and work is underway.
The work has been divided into two sections: the eastern and western segments. The Damak-based office is overseeing the 45-kilometer road from Kakarbhitta to Sitapur, while the Itahari office is responsible for the section from Sitapur to Pachrukhi, west of Itahari. According to both offices, 12% of the work has been completed in the past year.
Sunil Babu Pant, the head of the Damak office of the project, stated that the goal is to blacktop at least 20 kilometers of the road within this fiscal year. Similarly, Jagat Prajapati, head of the western section at the Itahari office, mentioned that they aim to complete the first phase of blacktopping on at least 10 kilometers of the road within this fiscal year.
Since the ‘Asian Highway’ connects to Bangladesh via India within just 27 kilometers from Nepal, it holds potential for international trade, according to Rajendra Raut, President of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) Koshi Province. He added that once the highway is operational, import and export costs will decrease, and rural businesses will be connected to international markets.
The Asian Highway starts in Bangkok, Thailand, passing through Myanmar, Bangladesh, and India before entering Nepal via Kakarbhitta. It then follows the East-West Highway, extending to Delhi, India, and ultimately reaching Karachi, Pakistan. The construction, which began on Magh 19, is being carried out with financial assistance from the Asian Development Bank, with a target completion period of three years. The project is estimated to cost around 300 million USD.
Within the contracted 95.76-kilometer road section, a total of 48 bridges, including 10 overpasses, will be built. In the eastern section, 21 bridges are under construction, and out of 140 planned box culverts, 92 are currently being built, according to Pant, the eastern section chief.
In the western section, the foundation work for three large bridges—Ratua, Bakraha, and Lohandra—has been completed, according to project head Prajapati. Of the 169 box culverts planned for this section, 47 have been completed, while the rest are under construction. He further stated that 35% of the earth-filling work has been finished.
So far, physical progress has been more significant in forested areas compared to urban areas. Overpasses will be constructed in Charali and Birtamod of Jhapa, Charpane, Baliya of Morang, and east, central, and west Itahari in Sunsari. Prajapati mentioned that electricity poles have been obstructing the road construction but coordination with the Nepal Electricity Authority is underway to resolve the issue soon.
The road is being built in three sections: urban, forested, and rural. The width will be 50 meters in urban areas, 24 meters in forested areas, and 33 meters in rural areas.
In urban areas, the road will include bicycle lanes, footpaths, and drainage systems. Additionally, six ‘signature bridges’ will be constructed. The construction is being carried out by Nepal’s Kalika and Tundi Construction in collaboration with a Chinese company.
