Bhaktapur: The Suryabinay­ak-Dhulikhel road is going to be upgraded to eight lanes. Concerned authorities have stressed the need for start­ing the construction work at the earliest. They expressed their views at a ‘suggestion-col­lection campaign’ organized last week at Jagati, Bhaktapur by the Department of Roads (DoR).

On the occasion, former minister and parliamentary member Mahesh Basnet said that the road expansion will alleviate traffic congestions. He also talked about the need to install traffic lights, con­struct overhead bridges and manage sidewalks.

Sanjaya Kumar Shrestha, chief of DoR’s Foreign Aid Division, said that the Japa­nese government, which will provide financial support to the project, was carrying out a preliminary study of the proj­ect. Following a preliminary study, it had pledged to sign a loan agreement during a recent visit of DoR representa­tives to Japan.

“The Japanese government will provide a loan for the proj­ect at an interest rate of 0.2 percent,” he said.

“Part of the project is a plan to construct a four-lane tunnel road at Palanse and to upgrade the road to eight lanes from Palanse to Sanga Bhangjyan,” he said.

“Fuel tankers will not be allowed on the tunnel road. A study is also being conducted to build a tunnel road along the Suryabinayak-Koteshwar road,” he added.

Other participants like Mayor of Suryabinayak Municipality, Basu Dev Thapa, a local representative from the municipality, Ukesh Kawa, and district president of the Federation of Nepali Jour­nalists, Pushkar Raj Budha­thoki, also spoke about the importance of starting the project soon. RSS