Kathmandu, November 18:

The Division Road Office (DRO), Kathmandu, has finalised four of its major tasks of upgrading and widening roads during the current fiscal year while the Department of Roads (DoR) is looking forward to widening the road section between Koteswor-Suryavinayak along the Araniko Highway with assistance from the government of Japan. The Jadibuti-Pepsicola-Manohara, Galfutar-Mandikhataar, south of the Narayahiti Palace stretches, and maintenance of the Ring Road track construction are the four major routes that will be widened and upgraded, said Pradeep Raj Pant, division chief at DRO, Kathmandu. “Japan is providing funds for the widening of the road section between Koteswor and Suryavinayak to commemorate 50 years of its diplomatic relations with Nepal,” said a high official at DOR. It is not yet finalised whether the road would be made a six-lane one but it is certain that the section of Araniko Highway will get a facelift, the official said, adding that a Japanese technical team is arriving in Kathmandu in December for the purpose.

Pant said that the DRO had allocated a budget of Rs 28 million for widening Jadibuti-Pepsicola-Manohara-Bhaktapur route which would be made an alternate route to Bhaktapur during the widening of the section of the Araniko Highway. The upgrading and widening work that started last fiscal year at Nagdhunga Checking Bay, Gaushala-Chabahil Road and Gaushala-Ratopul Road is in its last phase, Pant said. Widening of these roads has been done in such a way that it would maintain smooth vehicular movement till 2014, he added. “After the Gaushala-Ratopul road stretch work, study will be carried out in order to widen Ratopul-Gyaneshwor-Kamal Pokhari road”, Panta said, adding that it would be of importance in establishing a radial link to the core of the city. The budget sanctioned for Nagdhunga Check Bay was Rs 23 million whereas for the remaining two projects a total Rs 160 million was allocated, which also includes land acquisition cost. Apart from mere maintenance, DRO Kathmandu is engaged in attempting for better traffic management. “DRO is setting up two traffic lights on Gaushala-Chabahil Road which will help maintain the flow of traffic,” said Karna Bahadur Ranabhat, site engineer. A budget of Rs 3.5 million has been sanctioned for the purpose, he added.