Kathmandu Ring Road widening delayed again, work to start post-Dashain

Construction on the second phase of Kathmandu's Ring Road widening project has been postponed until after the Dashain festival, despite the completion of most preparatory work and nearing finalization of the project's design by Nepal and China.

The project has encountered repeated delays over the years, initially due to slow preparatory work on the Nepali side and subsequently because of the late arrival of Chinese technical teams. Although official procedures are now largely concluded, physical construction has yet to commence.

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We proposed a few additional structures and pointed out some omissions in the design. Once the final design is approved, the Chinese side will select the construction contractor.

A delegation led by Arjun Prasad Aryal, chief of the Development Cooperation Implementation Division under the Department of Roads, recently met with Chinese officials to discuss the final design. "We proposed a few additional structures and pointed out some omissions in the design," Aryal stated. "Once the final design is approved, the Chinese side will select the construction contractor."

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At present, discussions are only taking place with the consultants. Even if the contract is signed before the monsoon, construction will start after Dashain.

The detailed design is being prepared by Chinese state-owned firms CCCC First Highway Consultants and Xi’an Fangzhou Engineering Consulting. Aryal anticipates the final design will be submitted to Chinese authorities within a week. Nepal has also requested the replacement of the existing culvert at Dhungedhara with a concrete bridge. The contractor is expected to be selected before the monsoon, with physical construction beginning only after the Dashain festival.

Aryal expressed confidence that significant delays are unlikely, noting that past issues on both Nepali and Chinese sides have been resolved. The Nepali delegation is scheduled to brief Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Sunil Lamsal on the project's progress. The second phase, covering an 8.2-kilometer section from Kalanki to Basundhara Chowk, is being funded by a Chinese grant of approximately Rs11 billion.

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Some delays occurred on our side, while others were on the Chinese side. Those issues have now been resolved. Once the contractor is selected, work can proceed.