Kavrepalanchowk, April 23: The upgrading of the Sanga-Dhulikhel road section under the Araniko Highway has hit a major snag as locals in the Pulbazar area have obstructed work over a dispute regarding the centerline alignment. As a result, around 200 meters of the project has been on hold for over a month and a half, according to the Suryavinayak-Dhulikhel, Dhulikhel-Sindhuli-Bardibas road projects under the Department of Roads.

Locals have demanded equal distribution of houses on both sides of the road, objecting to the current 140-foot distance from the centerline. Project Engineer Bishnu Khanal confirmed that despite previous coordination efforts with concerned agencies, a recent meeting between locals and Banepa Municipality officials ended inconclusively.

The construction of a bridge in Banepa’s main city area has also been suspended due to similar issues. A one-kilometer stretch from Chandeshwari Khola to Banepa Chardobato remains under construction, but other activities have stalled.

Engineer Khanal warned that unless the dispute in Pulbazar is resolved immediately, work will not resume before the monsoon. However, he added that other parts of the project are progressing, with drainage, wall, and pavement works nearly completed and blacktopping preparations underway.

In Pulbazar, house demolition, relocation of electric and optical fiber poles, and removal of high-tension lines have also come to a halt. A public notice issued on March 10 had requested owners to vacate buildings and structures falling within the road boundary, but repeated resistance has hindered progress in several locations including Nasikasthan, Bhainsipati, Janagal, Budol, and the 28 km point.

The 16 km Suryavinayak-Dhulikhel road, which began construction in December 2019, was originally expected to be completed in 36 months. Now, with just eight months remaining, only around 45 percent of the work has been completed.

Senior Divisional Engineer Sajna Adhikari cited delays in house demolitions, utility relocations, and environmental clearance as the main reasons for the setbacks. In Banepa, disputes over urban structures, bridges, and residential demolitions have especially slowed progress.

In the first phase, Rs. 456.4 million was allocated for the 8.4 km stretch from Sanga to Dhulikhel, with international funding support. The expansion aims to ease growing traffic congestion, especially after the Tatopani border reopened, leading to a daily flow of over 1,500 vehicles from Koteshwar to the mid-hills and Eastern Terai.

Despite the critical need for expansion, local disputes and delays in structural clearances now threaten to derail the project’s timeline and efficiency.