China To Re-Build Araniko Highway | Total Cost At Rs 1.44 Arba
December 2, 2020 | Investopaper
China is set to rebuild the Araniko Highway, which was damaged by the 2072 earthquake and subsequent floods and landslides. A proposal to rebuild the Araniko Highway connecting Nepal-China border at a cost of 80 million yuan i.e. Rs 1.44 billion was received by Road Department. The proposal to carry out rehabilitation work has been received through the Chinese embassy.
According to the Department of Roads, the Chinese government has proposed to reconstruct 47 to 114 kilometers now from Panchkhal to Kodari. The road will not be upgraded as per the proposal. Nepal had presented an agenda to upgrade Araniko Highway to double lane. The issue of blacktop of double lane from Tatopani border (Miteripul) connecting Nepal and China to Dhulikhel was raised in the bilateral meeting.
In a joint statement issued during the Chinese president’s visit, the two sides agreed to work together to improve the Araniko Highway in the long run. For that, it was mentioned that the road would be rebuilt and upgraded. That work will be done on a priority basis, according to the joint statement.
Araniko Road is the first highway connecting Nepal and China. The highway starts from Maitighar Mandal near Singha Durbar and ends at Miteripul in Kodari. The total length of this highway is 112.83 kilometers. A year ago, the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport had proposed to the Chinese side to upgrade the road from Dhulikhel to Kodari Highway to double lane as the road from Kathmandu to Dhulikhel has been widened.
