KATHMANDU: China is set to begin the expansion and upgrade of the Syafrubesi-Rasuwagadhi section under the Galchhi-Trishuli-Mailung-Syafrubesi-Rasuwagadhi road corridor, the shortest route connecting Kathmandu to China, from April 1.
The project office issued a notice on Wednesday confirming that the road will be closed in phases for construction starting April 1. According to the plan, the Syafrubesi-Rasuwagadhi section will remain closed for a total of 45 days over the next three months, with closures implemented in three separate 15-day periods.
In the first phase, the road will be closed from April 1 to April 15. It will then reopen for 15 days before closing again from May 1 to May 15. After another 15-day reopening period, the road will be closed for the final phase from June 1 to June 15.
The 17 km stretch is currently operating on a temporary track of around 2.5 to 3 meters width after being damaged by floods during last year’s monsoon. With limited width, vehicle movement has made construction work difficult.
Project engineer Kumar Parajuli said the road will be fully closed to facilitate construction, particularly the building of retaining walls in flood-damaged sections. The goal is to complete the wall construction before the upcoming monsoon season.
The upgrade is being carried out by Chinese contractor Sichuan Tianlu, which secured the project with a contract worth approximately Rs 6.5 billion. The road is being built under a Chinese government grant.
Although the agreement between Nepal and China was signed in October 2019, construction had been delayed as the contractor could not begin work due to restrictions on using land within Langtang National Park and sourcing construction materials like sand, gravel, and stones.
The project moved forward after a Cabinet decision on November 30, 2025, allowed temporary use of 20,000 square meters of land within the Langtang National Park area and waived royalties on materials extracted from the road alignment and nearby riverbanks.
