Chitwan, December 20

The contractor of the Narayangadh-Muglin road upgradation project is unlikely to complete the task within the stipulated deadline of mid-March next year.

“As the upgrading task along the road section slowed down due to monsoon rain and then the two elections were held in the country, we may have to extend the deadline by 40 to 45 days,” said the project engineer Shiva Khanal.

Two contractors were entrusted with the road upgrading project contracting to complete the task in two years before April 2015. The term was extended for the third time owing blockade, strike, and bandh, among others. He said they would complete the task by April. However, he expressed doubt that the upgradation work would be completed by the given deadline.

A total of 67.1 per cent work on the first section, 69.5 on the second section and only 58 per cent of the third section has been completed so far. As per the contract, they had to complete 15 per cent in the first eight months, 50 per cent in the second eight months and the remaining 50 per cent in the last eight months.

The contractor had agreed to pay a fine of 0.0075 per cent if the contractor didn’t complete the first eight months task, 0.025 per cent for the second eight months and 0.05 per cent for the third eight months. Hence, the contractor paid Rs 7.5 million fine to the project as per the agreement.

BLA Shrestha JV and Supreme Rautahat JV were entrusted with the upgrading task for Rs 2.9 billion; Rs 610 million for the first section, Rs 980 million for the second and Rs 1.31 billion for the third section of the road. Of the total 36-kilometre road, upgrading and expansion of 32.2-kilometre road is under way. So far only 13.5 kilometres of the road has been blacktopped. The contractors have to blacktop three layers of the entire 36-km road.

Only one-way traffic allowed

CHITWAN: Only one-way traffic has been allowed along the Narayangadh-Muglin road section in Chitwan after the railing of a bridge, four kilometres away from Munling, collapsed.

Engineer Shiva Khanal at the Narayangadh-Mugling Road Project said around 20-metre long railing of the bridge had broken. He informed that vehicles were now passing through the bridge safely. “The construction of a new railing has begun,” he added. Khanal said two-way traffic would resumed after the new railing was installed.

Inspector at District Traffic Office,  Chitwan, Santosh Panta said they had to go for one-way traffic as the  railing had cracked. Panta said a problem would arise if a vehicle broke down while crossing the bridge.