Six years after the upgrade work began, only 74 percent of the Butwal–Narayanghat section of the East–West Highway has been completed, confirming that the project will not be finished this year as previously expected. Officials at the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport (MoPIT) say they remain hopeful that the remaining work can be completed next year.
Joint Secretary Chudaram Dhakal, head of the ADB Project Directorate at the ministry, said progress on the most difficult Daunne section has reached only around 50 percent, making it a primary bottleneck in project completion.
In July, the Department of Roads (DoR) extended the project deadline for the fourth time, setting July 21, 2026, as the final deadline for the western segment and July 23, 2026, for the eastern segment. Dhakal expressed confidence that the extended timeframe will be met.
“This is the final deadline. The work must be completed within it. After 70 percent progress, contractors generally do not back away,” he said.
Daunne Stretch Remains the Biggest Challenge
The road is divided into two segments, with the expired deadlines falling in mid-July. Although only 14 km long, the Daunne stretch is known as the most chaotic part of the corridor, where vehicles often take one to two hours to pass through. Its length is split into 4 km in the eastern section and 10 km in the western section.
The contractor agreed to the deadline extension on the condition of no additional financial claims or compensation. A senior ministry official said terminating the contract would have complicated the project even further:
“Replacing the contractor would cause bigger delays, so extending the contract was the only feasible option.”
The contractor has argued that work remained stalled for almost three years due to COVID-19. The project, awarded to China State Construction Engineering for Rs 17.02 billion, was initially signed on December 19, 2018. After missing the third extended deadline of July 23, 2025, the fourth extension was approved.
Project Composition and Delays
The 113-km highway stretch includes:
- 64.425 km (Eastern Segment)
- 48.535 km (Western Segment)
The project is being executed by the ADB Directorate under the DoR with financial support from the Asian Development Bank.
A senior DoR official admitted that delays were caused by both the contractor and internal shortcomings:
- Delayed site clearance
- Difficulties obtaining tree-cutting permits
- Slow relocation of electricity poles
- Limited access to construction materials due to local extraction restrictions
“The DoR should have coordinated better with contractors and local governments,” the official acknowledged.
Night-Time Construction in Gaindakot
To reduce daytime congestion, road expansion work in Gaindakot is now being carried out from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. every day. Around 170 meters west of the Narayani bridge still remains to be blacktopped.
Except for Gaindakot and the Daunne hill portion, one-way blacktopping on the eastern segment has been completed.
Under the expansion design:
- 100 km of the highway will be upgraded to four lanes
- The 14-km Daunne section will be limited to three lanes due to terrain constraints
- Two additional service lanes will be added on both sides in urban stretches
