Wednesday, January 1, 2020

Preliminary study of Tokha-Rasuwagadi road started

A Chinese technical team has started a preliminary study of the tunnel section of proposed Tokha-Rasuwagadi road.
The Department of Roads (DoR) confirmed that the preliminary assessment of the Tokha-Chhahare-Gurjubhanjyang tunnel section has been started. “The team will gradually begin the study of other sections of the road project too,” director general of the department Keshav Kumar Sharma informed, adding that the team s active in the field. “The team is expected to complete the preliminary study within a few months.”
The government has planned to construct 4.17-kilometre-long tunnel to connect Tokha with Gurjubhanjyang and a 24-kilometre-long tunnel to connect Betrawati with Rasuwagadi. But the Nepali Army is also working on opening the track of the Betrawati-Rasuwagadi section citing that building a road instead of digging a tunnel would be more cost-effective.
According to a memorandum of understanding (MoU) – signed during the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping on October 13 – Nepal and China had agreed to develop a 50-km road linking Kathmandu and Rasuwagadi. During Xi’s visit, Department of Roads and China International Development Cooperation Agency had signed the agreement.
According to the agreement, China will bear majority of the cost of building the road and tunnel, including the cost of study. The team, which is working in Nepal now, will submit its report and authorities from Kathmandu and Beijing will then start the work on the detailed project report (DPR) and detailed engineering study.
Though, the government is expecting that the Chinese government will finance the strategic project that the Chinese construction companies have expressed interest to build under the build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) model, the funding modality of the project will be discussed after the DPR is finalised.
When the project is completed, it is expected to reduce the distance and travel time between Kathmandu and Rasuwagadi, and also shortens Kathmandu’s distance with the northern border Kerung.
The Kathmandu-Rasuwagadi road is around 125-km long, and passes through Galchhi of Dhading but the distance will be reduced to 50-km once the new route is completed.

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