Fast Track: Nepal's tallest earthquake-resistant bridge under-construction (Photo Feature)

Saroj Basnet

Kathmandu: The Kathmandu-Terai-Madhesh (Fast Track), regarded as Nepal’s most significant infrastructure project, is currently under construction in Lane Danda, Makwanpur.

A 270-meter-long earthquake-resistant bridge, set to be Nepal’s tallest, is being built at the location that lies in Makwanpurgadhi and Bakaiya Rural Municipality of Makwanpur.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Niroj Gautam, the head of the Lane Danda Base Camp of the Nepal Army, who is overseeing the Fast Track construction, the bridge will stand approximately 81 meters tall after its completion.

The project is being implemented by dividing it into 13 packages. Out of the 89 bridges to be constructed under the project, 85 are at various stages of construction. Additionally, 6 tunnels will be constructed.

The NA expects to complete the fast-track project by mid-April, 2027. The starting point is Khokana in Lalitpur and the final point is Nijgarh in Bara. The length of the road is 70.977 kilometers.

The expressway will be 25 meters wide in hilly terrain and 27 meters wide in Terai terrain. Six tunnels with a length of 10.399 km will be built on the expressway.

Under the project, one km long tunnel will be constructed in Devichaur, 0.39 km in Sisautar, 2.25 km in Chandram Bhir, 3.355 km in Mahadevdanda, 1.691 km in Dhedre and 1.623 km in Lendanda.

Similarly, 89 bridges with a length of 12.885 km will be constructed at different places on that road. Two rest stops in Budune and one interchange and toll plaza each in Khokana, Budune, and Nijgarh will be constructed under the project.

According to the decision of the Council of Ministers on 4 May 2017, the responsibility of construction management of the project has been given to the Nepali Army.

The government handed over the project to the Army from the Road Department on 11 August 2017.

(Glimpses from the Fast Track under-construction project)