Mid-Hill highway to be completed by 2013

In about two years time, Kathmandu will be connected to Biratnagar through the Mid-Hill Highway as the highway -- popularly known as Lokmarga -- will be ready for the vehicular movement.
"We expect the vehicular movement on the highway by 2013 January," said finance secretary Rameshwor Prasad Khanal, after returning from the field trip of Khurkot-Ghurmi stretch of the highway that is motorable but needs black-topping.
"The Khurkot-Ghurmi 60-km section of the Mid-Hill Highway has been opened in fifteen months," he said, adding that it will be black-topped by the end of next fiscal year.
"Similarly, the track of Ghurmi-Chatara 134-km section -- probably the last section -- will also be opened in another 15 months," he added.
The current fiscal year's budget has allocated Rs 1.21 billion for the opening of the track. "But the budget will not be problem," finance secretary said, assuring that the government is ready to allocate needed budget for the highway that is expected to bring a massive socio-economic and cultural changes in the millions of the lives of the people in the mid-hills. "Around seven million people will be connected to the national road network after the completion of the highway," according to him.
The 1,750-km long mid-hill highway project is one of the major physical infrastructure projects that will link 25 districts from Chiyo Bhanjyang of Panchthar district in the east to Jhulaghat of Baitadi district in the west.
The highway also passes through Kavre, Kathmandu, Pokhara and Baglung districts.
It is also expected to open new possibilities in the western hills for entrepreneurs. Similarly, the highway could to developed further more road network through North to South interconnecting it, after the completion.
A total of Rs 43.38 billion has been estimated for the construction -- including the cost for blacktopping, track opening, construction of 48 bridges and culverts and pavement works -- of the highway.
The 1,750-km-long highway will add some 600-km of new road and will upgrade and use 1,100-km of existing roads. However, unlike most of the existing roads in the hills, this highway will have double-lane.
According to the Department of Roads, as of 2007, the total length of roads stands across the country at 19,207 km.