Bara, July 12

The Pathlaiya-Birgunj six-lane trade route is going to miss its deadline for completion.

The deadline is supposed to expire in six months, but until now only 40 per cent of the work has been completed.

Work on the expansion of the trade route started in June 2016 with a completion deadline of 30 months.

Pathalaiya-Birgunj Trade Route Expansion Project said the expansion work could not be completed within the fixed deadline due to various complications. According to the project, it took a long time to demolish houses, various factories, gates, walls, electricity and telephone poles, among other infrastructure, along the road area.

Project office Pathalaiya engineer and information officer Saumya Anand said that the protest by traders at Simara, Jitpur and Parwanipur too had delayed the road expansion work.

The 31-kilometre Pathlaiya-Birgunj road is being constructed from Birgunj to the place near India’s border.

Seven construction companies have been authorised to construct the road at different sections.

Construction companies said the construction got delayed as industries and factories took a long time to remove walls and gates.

Roshan Silwal of Sharma/United Builders Joint Venture Company said negligence on the part of the Department of Roads in removing physical structures in the market places and other areas had delayed road construction.