The Nepal Army (NA) on Wednesday inaugurated the first camp for the Kathmandu-Terai Expressway, at Makkhu Besi in Dakshinkali Municipality. 

After being handed over the project in the first week of May, the Army had started setting up 10 base camps along the 76-km road section between Kathmandu and Nijgadh. The Makkhu Besi camp, located 18km to the south of Kathmandu, is spread over 130 ropanis of land. The camp, which has the capacity to accommodate 110 people, will be used in providing necessary logistical support for project works. Other camps in Khokana, Kulekhani, Mahadev Besi, Dedre Besi, Lanedanda, Budune Besi, Rajtamar Besi, Andheri Besi and Nijgadh are under construction.

 NA Lieutenant Gen Purna Chandra Thapa, who is also the chairperson of the high-level Direction Committee, inaugurated the camp in the presence of Mayor of Dakshinkali Municipality Mohan Basnet, Maj Gen Yogendra Bahadur Khand, Chief District Officer (CDO) of Kathmandu Kedarnath Sharma, CDO of Lalitpur Mahadev Panta and officials from the Defence Ministry, among others.    

Addressing the function, Gen Thapa said the project would be completed on time if all the sectors worked together with the NA. 

“We had prepared an action plan to complete this camp in three weeks, but we managed to do that in 10 days,” he said. “And we are very committed to completing the project within the stipulated time frame.” 

The government has given a mandate for NA to complete the project within four years of time. Speaking on the occasion, Mayor Basnet and other stakeholders expressed their readiness to extend all possible help to the NA for an early completion of the project. “When I was elected as a mayor, the NA had just started work on this camp. Now, it has completed the task working day and night. I am hopeful this national pride project will be completed on time,” said Basnet.   

The four-lane expressway, which will be 23 metres wide in the hills and 25 metres in the plans, will have 99 bridges and two tunnels each measuring 11.3 metres in width and 5.5 metres height. The expressway is expected to significantly reduce the travel time between the Capital and the plains—from over six hours to less than an hour.