Govt gears up for shortening Mid Hill Highway
KATHMANDU, JAN 25 -
The government has initiated work on reducing the length of the proposed Mid Hill Highway to 1,400 km from the existing 1,776 km. To this effect, the Department of Roads will adopt new alignments and tunnels in some locations.
The department is preparing to select two consultants that will carry out feasibility studies. The detailed project report (DPR) of the project conducted two years ago had also recommended the government to adopt alternative alignments at some sections and reduce the overall length.
“We are targeting to complete the study, focusing on reducing the total length by 376 km, within a year,” said Prabhat Jha, unit chief of Planning and Design Branch of the department. He added some tunnel sections would be incorporated for cutting down the length at feasible locations.
About a year ago, the department, based on the DPR conducted by Tech Studio of Engineering (TSE), had recommended that the government shorten the highway by around 150-200 km, identifying locations. However, the issue remained untouched for about a year. Lately, the National Planning Commission had put pressure on the Ministry of Physical Planning, Works and Transport Management and the road department in this regard.
The DPR had projected total cost of Rs 43.38 billion for the completion of the 1,776 km highway. Department officials estimate if the government manages to reduce the total length by 376 km, the project cost will come down by over Rs 15 billion. However, some officials said despite the possibilities to reduce the road length in some sections, the change in the highway route could be difficult due to possible objection from locals and political parties.
For the feasibility study, the department plans to hire two consultants, separating the highway in two parts—section one (Chiyobhanjyang Ganeshchowk-Myglung-Basantapur-Hile-Bhojpur-Diktel-Ghurmi -Dhulikhel-Kathmandu-Pokhara) and section two (Pokhara-Baglung-Musikot Border-Rukumkot- Musikot-Chourjahari-Dailekh-Lainchour-Saijula-Belkhet-Mangalsen-Silgadhi-Satbanjh-Jhulaghat). A total of Rs 200 million is set aside for the study.
Currently, the project has been conducting work based on the existing routes and new road alignments approved by the government, which, according to ministry officials, was a result of political interference. At places, the existing routes have been included in the highway to save on building new alignments. A ministry official said there were unnecessary rise fall, alignment looping and alignment deviation in many places of the current road project.
According to the department, although the existing alignments (where the work is going on) are cut off from the highway plan, such roads or fresh track opened would be developed as feeder roads. Jha said the shortening of the highway would bring savings in travelling time and fare, besides reducing the project cost.
The TSE-prepared DPR had showed that the 102-km Jorsal-Tamor-Sankrati and Sankrati-Myaglung sections could be replaced by the 69-km Jorsal-Myaglung section. There is a possibility of reducing 19 km by avoiding Hile, while joining Myaglung with Bhojpur. Likewise, if Dailekh is avoided in the Chaurjahari-Dullu-Lainchaour section, 7 km can be saved.
Alternative alignments of the Bhajankot-Bayalpate and Sanfe-Dipayal stretches on the Mangalsen-Silgadhi section will shorten the highway by about 5 km and 20-25 km, respectively. TSE had also suggested conducting a detailed study of these alignments before using them as new alignments.
Source: The Kathmandu Post
