In a bid to expedite the ongoing expansion works at the Narayangadh-Muglin road , authorities are closing the traffic movement along the road during the day time from Saturday.

As per the latest decision, vehicular movement on the road will be closed between 10 am and 4pm until further notice.  Vehicles will allowed to ply only during the off-curfew hours from 4pm to 10 am. 

The decision was announced on January 19 in a meeting among the representatives of the Chitwan Traffic Police, construction workers, the project contractor and  the Federation of Transport Management, Chitwan.  

Information officer and engineer at Narayangadh-Munglin Road Project, Shiva Khanal, said the road expansion works are going to take place during the day time to make the work easer.  

Before this, the authorities  had been enforcing night time travel curfew along the road to facilitate the works. 

“We have three sections, where we need to break the rocks, and it’s risky working there at night.  Workers had also complained of difficulty working during night because of cold weather,” said Khanal.  

Of the total 32.2km road section, 14.5km road section has been expanded and blacktopped till date. 

Chief District Officer of Chitwan Narayan Prasad Bhatta said the latest travel restriction along the road is being enforced at the request of the project. 

“About 68 per cent of the expansion work has been completed so far,” said Bhatta. “The project contractor has vowed to complete the works by the given deadline.” 

The project deadline expires on is February 20.   

As per the contract signed in April 2015, the project was supposed to be completed by September 2017, but the deadline was extended due to the Gorkha earthquake and the subsequent Indian border blockade.  The Narayangadh-Munglin road section is one of the busiest road sections in the country, with over 10,000 vehicles travelling through it daily, according to Traffic Police Office (TPO) in Chitwan. 

Santosh Panta, chief of the Office, said passenger vehicles coming from Kathmandu will be stopped at Munglin, while vehicles carrying goods will be stopped at Lewatar area during the travel curfew hours. 

Similarly, vehicles coming from Chitwan will be stopped at Dashdhunga and Jugedi and the vehicles coming from Pokhara will be stopped at Abukhaireni and Benitar.   “We will be needing at least 20 additional officers to control the movement of vehicles,” said Panta, noting that only 13 officers have been mobilised for the job.