KATHMANDU: Travel along the Narayanghat-Butwal section of the Mahendra Highway has become smoother after major blacktopping and concrete paving works were completed on the eastern section of the road expansion project.
The physical progress of the eastern section has reached 91.34 percent as of May 2026. Vehicles can now travel the full 65-kilometer stretch from Narayanghat to Daunne entirely on paved roads.
The project office stated that paving and concrete works have been completed on the 14-kilometer Daunne section. Construction activities are continuing at a fast pace in some remaining hill-side areas of Daunne ahead of the monsoon season.
Long traffic jams and difficult road conditions had been affecting travelers and local residents for years. With most of the paving work completed, traffic movement is expected to improve significantly during the upcoming rainy season.
The eastern section has completed blacktopping and concrete paving across its full 65-kilometer stretch. Road safety installation and finishing works are currently underway.
On the western section, only around 800 meters of concrete paving work remains. The remaining works on the Daunne stretch are expected to be completed within the next two weeks.
The Narayanghat-Butwal road expansion project has received a fourth deadline extension after repeated delays. The deadline for the eastern section has been extended until July 22, 2026, while the western section deadline has been extended until July 20, 2026.
The project began in March 2019. Chinese contractor China State Construction Engineering Corporation secured the contract worth Rs 17 billion for the expansion of the 114-kilometer highway section.
