The Suryabinayak-Dhulikhel stretch of the Araniko Highway is being widened to four lanes, with the construction work being carried out by dividing the road into two sections.
However, the overall pace of work is slow. The project, which began on January 8, 2023, has achieved only 47 percent physical progress so far, according to the project’s officials.
Since road expansion work is ongoing and the monsoon has also arrived, the road becomes muddy when it rains.
Last year, vehicles got stuck in the mud during the rainy season, causing transportation issues. This time, the project says, there will be no such problems as sub-base and base layers have been laid in many sections. The section near Dhulikhel has already been blacktopped.
Of the total 15.9 km road, the first section, from Sanga to Dhulikhel (8.4 km), has been contracted to Lama Construction. According to Bhimarjun Adhikari, spokesperson for the Department of Roads, the contract amount is about Rs 4.06 billion.
The second section, from Suryabinayak to Sanga, is 7.5 km long. It is being constructed under a contract worth about Rs 3.89 billion.
The road section is being expanded as the narrow road has led to increasing traffic congestion over the years. The Suryabinayak-Dhulikhel and Dhulikhel-Sindhuli-Bardibas Road Project prepared a detailed project report (DPR) for the expansion.
According to the DPR, three 20-meter bridges will be constructed at Jagati and near the Mahadev Khola petrol pump, with an estimated cost of Rs 1.5 million per meter, totaling approximately Rs 900 million.
In Sanga, a 1.5 to 2 km long section is being built with separate up-and-down lanes. This road is used to reach the northern border at Tatopani and also serves districts like Sindhupalchowk, Ramechhap, and Dolakha.
Once completed, the project is expected to significantly reduce traffic congestion between Dhulikhel and Bhaktapur, marking a major milestone in road expansion.
Dhulikhel connects the federal capital to the eastern regions of the country, providing a shorter route via the BP Highway and Pushpalal Highway. Citizens from Koshi and Madhes provinces use these routes to travel to and from Kathmandu via the Araniko Highway.
