Kathmandu, December 28:

The Department of Roads (DoR) has decided to relocate essential infrastructure like poles of telephone wires, electric poles and trolley bus wires along the two-lane Tinkune-Suryabinayak road into a six-lane road.

Project manager of the Kathmandu-Bhaktapur Road Improvement Project of the DoR Saroj Kumar Pradhan said, “We will begin the relocation of the utilities from mid-January.” “Seeking cooperation, we have already held talks with political parties, locals and authorities authorities concerned because we cannot relocate the utilities without their support.”

“We conducted a study before planning the relocation of the utilities. As the results of the examination were positive, we are working to execute the project as soon as possible.”

“The government has provided Rs 28.6m for relocating infrastructure.”

The length of the Tinkune-Suryabinayak road section is around 10 kilometres. The project aims to turn the two-lane road into six-lane road with the total carriage width of 14 metres. Pradhan said, “We will execute our work in such a way that it will create minimal obstruction to vehicular movement.” “If the political situation is favourable, we will relocate utilities by March 2008.”

The road will be black-topped. “A three-metre-wide stretch extending along the road will be developed as green belt, while another three-metre-wide stretch extending along the road will be allotted to park vehicles that break down. There will be five intersections — in Jadibuti, Gahattaghar, Thimi, Sallaghari and Suryabinayak. Traffic signals will be installed in Jaributi, Ghattaghar and Sallaghari intersections.

Eleven sub-roads will be joined with this road at 11 places and there will be 14 bus stops, the DoR said.

This type of road is the first of its kind in Nepal, Pradhan claimed. The DoR has signed a pact with Nippon Koei Co of Japan to begin construction from August 2008.

Project in a nutshell

• Utilities will be relocated to expand the road

• The road will be turned into a six-lane artery

• The road will have parking space, green belt