Ring Road widening stuck in slow lane as 16km remains unfinished

Kathmandu's Ring Road widening project is stalled, with nearly 16 kilometers of the 27-kilometer loop still incomplete eight years after the initial section finished. The first phase, Koteshwar-Kalanki, concluded in 2018, but the subsequent phase has seen minimal progress.

Despite a government-to-government agreement signed in 2018 between Nepal and China for the second phase, implementation has been severely delayed. An implementation agreement was finally signed on April 29, 2026, but construction has yet to commence. This phase is currently planned to widen the road only up to Basundhara Chowk.

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We are committed to moving ahead quickly and are working accordingly. The design has not yet arrived from the Chinese side.

Challenges plague the project, including difficulties in demolishing houses and structures for land acquisition. China initially proposed widening the road from Kalanki to Narayangopal Chowk but withdrew due to these obstacles. A revised plan limits China's involvement to the section from Kalanki to near the Basundhara culvert.

Authorities are awaiting the final design from the Chinese side before proceeding with the contract process. The Nepali Cabinet has approved customs and tax exemptions for construction materials, but the project's timeline remains uncertain until the design is submitted, expected within two weeks. The Chinese government is providing approximately Rs11 billion in grant assistance.

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The design has not yet arrived from the Chinese side.