KATHMANDU: Construction of the Kathmandu-Tarai/Madhesh Fast Track has started gaining momentum. The national pride project was slow in its early years, but work has accelerated recently. However, progress is still below the original target.
The 70.977 km expressway was handed over to the Nepal Army for management by a Cabinet decision on 4 May 2017. The Army began awarding contracts and moving construction forward from 2021.
The road is currently divided into 13 packages. Out of them, 12 packages are under active construction. Only Package No. 11, the Khokana-Dukuchhap section, is yet to be contracted.
According to Nepal Army spokesperson Rajaram Basnet, overall physical progress reached 46.88 percent by 13 April 2026. Financial progress stands at 46.52 percent.
Construction is happening on multiple fronts at once. This includes bridges, tunnels, roads, interchanges, toll plazas, slope protection, box culverts, optical fiber ducts, and electrification ducts.
Blacktopping work has also started. In package no. 3 at Rajdamar, Makwanpur, 300 meters of road has already been blacktopped. A 9 km service lane in the same area has also been completed.
In Packages No. 3 and no. 5 at Nijgadh, subbase has been laid on 11.02 km of road, while base layer work has been completed on 5.5 km. The target is to blacktop 10.8 km within the current fiscal year.
16 bridges completed
The Fast Track will include 89 bridges with a combined length of 12.885 km. Some bridges will rise up to 81 meters high.
Contracts have been awarded for 85 bridges. Four bridges in the Khokana section are still pending due to land disputes.
Out of the contracted bridges, 16 have been completed by mid-April 2026. Foundation work is complete on 56 bridges, while substructure work is complete on 38 bridges.
Tunnel work moving fast
The project includes seven tunnels with a total length of 10.979 km.
Two tunnels have already achieved breakthrough. These include the 1,622-meter Lendanda Tunnel and the 1,690-meter Dhedre Tunnel. Secondary lining work in both tunnels is in the final stage.
The longest tunnel, Mahadevtar, stretches 3,355 meters. Excavation progress has reached 77 percent. It is targeted for breakthrough within the current fiscal year.
Work is also ongoing at Chandrambhir, Devichaur, Sisautar, and Mauribhir tunnels.
Rs 85.14 billion spent so far
Total spending on the Fast Track has reached Rs 85.14 billion so far.
This includes Rs 1.65 billion spent on land acquisition, Rs 823.7 million provided as advance payment to contractors, and Rs 2.57 billion paid as revenue and utility-related expenses. The total estimated project cost stands at Rs 211.93 billion.
Based on budget size, it is currently Nepal’s largest under-construction infrastructure project.
DPR revision to shift starting point
Although work is progressing in most areas, the official starting point is still unresolved. The current DPR places the starting point at Khokana. Due to unresolved local disputes, authorities have proposed shifting it 3.3 km lower to Farsidol.
A draft plan has been prepared where the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport will build the toll plaza and access road up to Farsidol.
The revised DPR has been forwarded to the Ministry of Defense. Once approved by the Cabinet, the Khokana section contract process will move ahead.
Big benefits after completion
Once completed, the Fast Track is expected to reduce travel time between Tarai and Kathmandu by 4 hours. It is also estimated to save more than Rs 50 billion every year in cargo transportation costs alone.
