After the government recently extended the deadline for the expressway construction, initially started nearly two decades ago, by three years until Chaitra 2086 (mid-April 2030), concerns have surfaced regarding the delays in the project. While the Nepalese Army claims challenges in highway construction, infrastructure experts argue that the extension stems from inadequate monitoring and detailed inspection, yet even with the extension, the project is unlikely to be completed on time.
According to the Nepalese Army, which is responsible for construction management, the physical progress of the project has reached only 50.02 percent so far. Though work continues vigorously in most areas, sources from the military reveal that land acquisition and compensation agreements remain unresolved, especially at the Kathmandu departure point. Discussions are underway to identify alternative departure points to accelerate the Kathmandu-Tarai/Madhesh Expressway, which has completed only half its progress after nearly a decade.
Army spokesperson Rajaram Basnet stated that obstacles such as land acquisition issues and disputes over the starting point have posed significant challenges to completing the work on schedule. He noted, “The COVID-19 pandemic and flooding in Ashwin 2081 (September-October 2024) have caused additional delays.” Basnet also mentioned that at the time of the expressway’s inauguration, Tulsi Sitoula, former Secretary of the Physical Infrastructure Ministry, did not question the army’s work, which contributed to the project’s untimely completion.
The estimated construction cost of the project stands at NPR 211.93 billion, with the Nepalese Army reporting that NPR 94.22 billion has been spent up to the end of Bhadra (mid-September 2024). To resolve existing challenges, Arjun Jung Thapa, a member of the National Planning Commission, clarified that the outdated initial departure point has become irrelevant since the Outer Ring Road Plan remains stalled. He remarked, “We are now considering extending the route up to the dry port area and then connecting further to Balkhu via an additional four-lane road.”
