PM Oli to Inaugurate Gwarko Overpass in Lalitpur

An overpass built at Gwarko in Lalitpur is being inaugurated today. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli will officially open the overpass.

According to the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, the overpass will be opened for public vehicles after the inauguration.

Last Saturday, the Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Devendra Dahal, along with the Department of Roads, inspected the site and directed the contractor to prepare for vehicle movement.

The project was contracted on 12th Falgun 2078 (February 2022), and it took over four years to complete. Due to delays, the cost increased by Rs. 140 million more than the original agreement. Pradeep Bhandari, spokesperson for the Quality Research and Development Centre under the Department of Roads, shared this information.

Originally, the project was supposed to be completed for around Rs. 170 million, but the final cost reached over Rs. 310 million. The contract followed the EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) model, where the contractor handled everything from design to construction.

The contract was given to Ashish–Samanantar Religare JV, with a deadline of two years, ending on Falgun 11, 2080. However, the deadline was extended twice—first until Ashar 2081, and then again until Poush 8, 2081, as work could not be completed on time. There was also a month-long halt in construction during Poush and Magh.

The contractor was fined around Rs. 14.7 million for repeated delays. After the main structure was completed, blacktopping started on 8th Jestha. After lane separators and road markings were completed, the road was ready for use.

The Gwarko Overpass includes a four-lane bridge with a 20-meter span and 500 meters of approach roads. Ramps are built from Balkumari and Satdobato. The central four lanes of the Ring Road were elevated to make the overpass, allowing vehicles traveling between Mangalbazar and Imadol to pass smoothly underneath.

This project is expected to help reduce traffic jams in the area.