Valley
Expansion of 1.5km stretch over, blacktopping in 6 months
The Kathmandu Valley Road Improvement Project (KVRIP) has completed the extension of 1.5 km road stretch from Tripureshwor to Kalimati bridge.The Kathmandu Valley Road Improvement Project (KVRIP) has completed the extension of 1.5 km road stretch from Tripureshwor to Kalimati bridge.
The Tripureshwor-Kalanki Road Expansion Project, under the Department of Roads, will turn the 12-metre road into 22-metre with a 2-metre footpath and cycle lane on either side. The project, which was supposed to be completed a year ago, had been delayed due to last year’s earthquake, border blockade and local people’s protest.
“We have demolished more than a dozen shutters and five dozen illegal pavements attached to the buildings in the area,” said Ram Prasad Shrestha, district commissioner at the KVRIP.
According to project officials, the road section will come into operation once the electric poles on the roads are removed. “We have already requested Nepal Electricity Authority to clear the electric poles. Once the poles are moved, we will black top this section of the road within six months,” said Deepak KC, chief of Kathmandu Valley Development Project (KVDA).
The expansion work between Kalimati and Kalanki has been stuck due to protests from the locals who are demanding compensation. “Besides, a stay order from the court has halted our progress,” said Shrestha.
The Tripureshwor-Kalanki stretch is one of the most congested roads in the Valley. According to Shrestha, out of the total of 1,050km of roads in the Valley that need expansion 240km has so far been widened in Kathmandu district alone.
The road-widening follows the standards set by the Town Development Implementation Act-2029 for Kathmandu Valley. As per the provision, roads in the Valley can be expanded up to a width of 25 metres.