Road to Nagarkot Being Upgraded by Changunarayan Municipality

The main road from Bhaktapur to Nagarkot, one of the key tourist destinations in the district, is now being repaired and upgraded. Changunarayan Municipality has started the work using its own budget, as part of the Nagarkot Visit Year 2082 campaign launched this past Baisakh (April–May).

The municipality has signed a contract worth Rs. 170 million to upgrade the 15-kilometer road using internal funds. A tender was called and work has now started.

Previously, in 2014, the Nepal Government had signed a contract with Shailung Construction and Indian company Aravali Infrapower Ltd to complete the same road with funding support from India’s Exim Bank. The contract was worth Rs. 270 million, and the road was supposed to be finished by mid-2016.

However, even after 11 years and 10 deadline extensions, the road remained incomplete. Costs had increased to Rs. 310 million, but the project kept getting delayed. Finally, in Poush (December–January), the contract was canceled by the Road Improvement and Development Project Directorate.

Mayor Khatrī of Changunarayan Municipality said, “The Visit Year is not just for Nagarkot—it’s a festival for the whole nation. This road cannot cause problems during that time.” He added that the municipality is fully committed and has already started base layering for blacktopping (asphalt paving) the road.

He also explained that since the federal government did not include this road in its budget this year, and the official process would take a long time, the municipality decided to take action on its own.

“We have coordinated with the concerned ministry and the Department of Roads. We will fix potholes and complete blacktopping to make the road easier for tourists. The government will help build the sidewalks and drainage later,” said Mayor Khatrī.

Work has already started from the Nagarkot side, where the road is being leveled with gravel and prepared for blacktopping. The mayor said the full upgrade will be completed within a month.

Meanwhile, another road project worth Rs. 590 million funded by the Bagmati Province Government has also begun. This project involves blacktopping a 9-kilometer road from Dega Chowk in Bhaktapur to Sankhu in Kathmandu via Changunarayan.