Long delays plague Mid-Hill Highway project

Dhorpatan: Local residents and commuters continue to endure hardships due to the prolonged delay in completing the Mid-Hill Highway, a project of national significance. Although the Baglung-Ghodabandhe section of the highway was opened over two decades ago, the road remains unpaved, subjecting locals to dusty conditions.

The highway office initially awarded the contract for blacktopping a 25-kilometer section from Upallochaur to Ghodabandhe to two contractor companies with a stipulated completion time of two years. However, seven years have passed, and the project remains incomplete.

India-Siddhisai JV secured the contract for the 13-kilometer Upallochaur stretch, but only seven kilometers have been blacktopped so far, despite the deadline being extended four times. Similarly, Surya Construction Company was tasked with blacktopping the remaining 12 kilometers from Bihun to Ghodabandhe, but only six kilometers have been completed, with the deadline extended five times.

Local resident Kedar Kandel expressed frustration, saying, “We have been forced to contend with the dusty road for years due to the prolonged delays in completing the project. Despite the project’s lengthy timeline, there has been little improvement, and the road becomes muddy during the rainy season.”