The Kathmandu Ring Road Improvement Project (KRRIP) is going to upgrade the existing two-lane road from Koteshwor to Ekantakuna into an eight-lane road. The work is expected to be completed by mid-June 2017, before monsoon season starts.

“The infrastructure is ready. We are working on sub-base and base-course constructions,” said Ramesh Kumar Disti, one of the project engineers.

The eight-lane road will also have bicycle track and footpath on both sides.

According to Disti, the project will also build three overhead bridges at Koteshwor,Gwarko and Bagdol and three pedestrians bridges at Satdobato, Ekantakuna and Balkhu.

The KRRIP is already constructing four bridges at Balkumari, Balkhu and Kalanki.

“The project has also removed the overhead bridge of Kalanki to replace it with an underpass,” Disti said. “We hope that the underpass will be completed in two years.”

Chinese contractor Shanghai Construction Group Limited has been tasked to widen 10.39 km Koteshwor-Kalanki road section. The cost of the project is 312 million yuan (approx Rs 5.13 billion).

The project, which started in June 2013, was pushed back by a year due to shortage of construction materials, last year’s earthquakes and Indian trade embargo. The project was scheduled to be completed by January 5, 2017.

In June, the project deadline was extended to July 31, 2018. In December 2012, the Department of Roads and Shanghai Construction Group Company Limited had signed an agreement for the improvement of the 10-km section of the 27km Ring Road.

Kalanki-Koteshwor is the first phase of the project under Chinese funding. According to government officials, after the completion of the first phase, it is expected to take another 10 years to upgrade the remaining 17km section.