KATHMANDU, JANUARY 10

The Department of Roads is installing traffic lights at five more places in Kathmandu Valley in a bid to ease traffic congestion.

Traffic lights will be installed at Jadibuti, Koteshwor, Thapathali, Durbar Marg and Kesharmahal.

“The light installation will be completed within this year. The project will be expanded in the days to come,” said Krishna Nath Ojha, chief of the vehicle management and traffic section.

A contract agreement has been signed to complete the project at a cost of Rs 11.5 million.

So far, the department has installed traffic lights at 14 places in the valley, and it has a plan to add them in seven more places, according to DoR. Discussions were on to install traffic lights along the Koteshwor-Kalanki road section, said the DoR.

Preparations to install modern high mast lights along the 60-kilometre road under the ‘Mayor Ujyaalo Abhiyan’ has reached its final stage, informed the DoR. Under this campaign, around 1,750 lights will be installed at 80 places.

Bidding will be called soon for the project, which is a joint investment of Kathmandu Metropolitan City and Nepal Electricity Authority. The project has moved ahead following the signing of an agreement among KMC, NEA and DoR at the 55th meeting of the executive on December 10, said KMC Mayor Bidya Sundar Shakya.

Initially, lights will be installed along the Tribhuvan International Airport-Tripureshwor-Kalanki, Tripureshwor-Maharajgunj and Singa Durbar, Putalisadak-Baluwatar and Tribhuvan International Airport-Hyatt Hotel road sections, said Ram Bahadur Thapa, chief of the Department of Urban Infrastructure Development. It will cost approximately Rs 110 million to complete the first phase of the project, according to KMC.