Repair work on a section of road in Kathmandu’s Naxal area that had caved in is likely to be completed by Feb 10.

Shanker Group, which is responsible for the road maintenance, has told the Department of Roads (DoR) that it will make sure the road starts functioning by the time, according DoR.

The road section—from Bhagawati Bahal to Bal Mandir—has been sealed since January 9 after a sinkhole swallowed up one lane of the street, opening a cavity measuring around 25 meters deep, according to DoR.

“The company (Shanker Group) is working proactively. It seems it will succeed in bringing the road back into service within the next three weeks,” Ayodhya Shrestha, Regional Director at the Central Road Directorate told the Post.

Following the road collapse, the government had formed a three-member committee to study the matter. Shrestha is also the coordinator of the committee, which includes senior division engineers of the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure.

Shrestha said an investigation carried out by the department has concluded that the incident occurred in spite of the developer taking proper measures. Pile foundation, which is required for such construction, according to Shrestha, is in place.

Although the government is positive about bringing the road section back into service within the next three weeks, it seems to be unaware about several other aspects, including maintenance cost.

“Since the damage has been caused by the hotel project carried out by Shanker Group, the company is liable to repair the road. This is why we aren’t sure about the repair cost,” Shrestha said, adding the government, however, is making sure the builder does not compromise with quality.

The road section had caved in following extensive digging at the construction site of “DoubleTree by Hilton” hotel nearby. DoubleTree by Hilton is being constructed by Jagadamba Hospitality Group, a subsidiary of Shanker Group.

It is a chain operated by Hilton Hotels and Resorts, one of the largest hotel chains in the world. According to DoR, the builder has received the approval of Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC).

The proposed hotel will be spread over 5 ropanis and feature 138 guest rooms and parking space for 120 four-wheelers and 200 two-wheelers. Jagadamba has appointed Miyamoto International, a global structural and earthquake engineering firm, to design the structure of the building.

According to a report published by Miyamoto on its website, the 14-storey hotel will have three basement levels. The proposed building meets the International Building Code and the building standards of Nepal and India, the report added.