Under the Mahakali Bridge Plan, within the East-West Highway from Chisapani to Gaddachowki, fourteen bridges along with two on the Mahakali Highway are included in the sixteen bridge maintenance project. Himal Sagarmatha Construction Pvt. Ltd. has been awarded a contract worth NPR 169,318,539 for the repair of these bridges along with the advancement of road infrastructure.
According to Information Officer and Engineer Kapil Prasad Pant of the Bridge Planning Office, “Bridge maintenance has not been possible for a long time. After initiating the program, not only will the bridges be strengthened and durable, but their lifespan will also increase, contributing to road safety improvements.”
According to Officer Pant, works such as bridge expansion or replacement, railings repair or replacement, and riverbank protection have been underway for bridge safety.
Various road safety measures such as road grading, installation of W-beam barriers, delineators, posts, road marking, and traffic signs are being implemented under the program. A contract was signed with Himal Sagarmatha Construction on June 22 for bridge maintenance.
Engineer Pant reported that physical progress of the program is at 60% completion while financial progress stands at 18%. The total length of the bridges under repair is 1,218 meters.
Prem Bisht, the director of the construction company, mentioned delays in construction due to difficulties in acquiring riverine materials during the monsoon. “The bridge maintenance works have been completed,” he said, “and riverbank protection works on the Doda and Mohana rivers in Kailali and Kanchanpur districts have been expedited for safety purposes.” Bisht expressed concerns over potential delays in project advancement if payments are not made on time for the contract work.
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