KATHMANDU: The underpass at Kalanki in the capital city is to come into operation in the third week of July.

First of its kind in the country, the Kalanki underpass at Kalanki Chok is 800 metres long and has four lanes. The 'wall finishing' works on 15 metres and blacktopping works on 400 metres of the underpass remain to be completed, it is stated.

The structure has been constructed as part of the Koteshwor-Balkhupul-Kalanki Ring Road Improvement Project. Government of the People's Republic of China has provided 212 million Yuan (around Rs 5 billion) for this project.

Project Chief Prakash Bhandari said preparations have been made for handing over the underpass to the Government of Nepal after finishing the remaining works by third week of this month.

Similarly, the work of expanding the 10.4-kilometre Koteshwor-Balkhupul-Kalanki section of the Ring Road into an eight-lane road has reached its final phase of completion. Works on nine kilometres of this section have been completed. This is the first phase of the Ring Road widening project.

Homework for the second phase of the Ring Road widening works is also initiated. In the second phase, the road widening would be undertaken on the 8.5-kilometre section of the Ring Road from Kalanki to Maharajgunj, the Department of Roads has stated.

However, process for the expansion of Maharajgunj-Koteshwor section of the 28-kilometre long Ring Road is not decided yet.

Before this, the project had announced that Kalanki underpass would be ready for operation in the third week of June.