Nepal plans road infrastructure expansion
Major road
expansion is planned for Nepal, but will face huge challenges due to the
country’s geography - Mike Woof reports, with local information from
World Highways' Nepal correspondent, Ram Krishna Wagle
The
tiny, landlocked nation of Nepal lies sandwiched between two of the
world’s largest countries, China and India and maintains good relations
with both. Politically Nepal has strong links with China, while
culturally its ties are close with India and these relationships work
both ways. Despite being tiny in comparison, Nepal is an important
trading partner for China and India and provides a vital transport
connection across the continent for these much larger nations. Although
Nepal’s recent political history has been tumultuous, with a series of
changes in governments, the leaders of all the major parties have agreed
upon the need for better transportation. And road transportation has
been widely recognised as being crucial to the country’s development.
While
Nepal is not strong economically, it is benefiting directly from its
good relations with China and India in regard to infrastructure
investment. And in spite of the changes of leadership in Nepal, these
relations with China and India have been maintained. This is crucial as
both of its giant neighbours have been providing economic assistance as
well as technical expertise, input that is sorely needed. In addition
Nepal also benefits from foreign aid provided by the EU, Japan, the
Scandinavian nations, Switzerland, the UK and the US.
However
Nepal’s geography poses a significant barrier for the country’s aim to
improve transport. The Himalayan range lies in the north of the country,
including eight of the world’s 10 highest mountains, and these present
huge physical obstacles. In the southern lowland plains of the country,
rivers descending from the mountains change course frequently,
presenting another challenge. Meanwhile Nepal’s Hill Region includes
altitudes ranging from 800-4,000m, itself providing difficulties for
road builders. As a result of the technical issues resulting from the
country’s geography as well as a shortage of construction machinery,
building roads between cities, towns and villages in Nepal can be an
expensive and almost painfully slow process.
1:
Weather conditions can require extreme caution on Nepal's roads
2: The
Mungling Bridge is an important link for the Prithvi Highway
3: Widening
work is underway on the Kathmandu Ringroad
4: Some remote river
crossings in Nepal are very weather dependent
5: Road crossings from
Nepal to neighbouring China are at high altitudes and conditions on some
routes are basic
Nepal’s road network is growing but there is
an enormous need for more investment. A study in 2007 revealed that
the country had 10,142km in all of surfaced roads and a further 7,140km
of unsurfaced roads. Nepal has 75 District Headquarters and up to 15
have no direct connection by road, while 33% of the population live at
least two hours walk from a road, presenting a major challenge to
economic growth as well as for other factors such as education or
health.
Because Nepal is landlocked, it relies on its
transport links with China and India for trade and the nearest port is
in Kolkata (Calcutta). But there is only one dependable road link
between the Kathmandu Valley and India at present and the development
of a new route will bring enormous economic benefits.
One
issue that has affected a good deal of Nepal’s existing
road infrastructure comes from the weather. Water flow rates can be enormous
due to run-off from mountain glaciers, becoming worse still during the
monsoon season due to intense bursts of heavy rainfall. Of the
existing roads (surfaced and unsurfaced), up to 60% become unusable
during the monsoon season and that includes most of the rural road
connections.
Nepal’s geography means that bridges are crucial
as the hilly and mountainous areas feature many deep gorges and rivers
that have to be crossed. But these bridges suffer intense wear, both
from the climate and from frequent vehicle overloading. Seasonal
rainfall can subject bridges to enormous stresses, with many structures
being damaged due to scour.
In a bid to improve the country’s
bridges, Nepal’s Ministry for Physical Infrastructure and Transport
inaugurated a programme of upgrades and maintenance work, with funding
provided by the
World Bank.
Grant assistance of US$148 million was provided by the World Bank for
work on 26 new structures and 98 bridges requiring major maintenance.
The programme also extended to 230 bridges requiring minor maintenance
work and a further 95 needing light maintenance. “Connecting people
with the road network can only develop a nation’s economy growth and
prosperity,” commented Karla Gonzalez Carvajal, Sector Manager,
Transport, South Asia Region, of the World Bank.
Of perhaps
great priority still is the need to improve Nepal’s connections with
its neighbours and the government has been pushing ahead with work on a
series of major trade routes. The aim is to boost trade with
neighbouring India and China and the programme will see four key trade
routes being widened to six lanes, with three in either direction. These
four routes are: Butwal-Belhiya; Rani-Ithari; Surybinayak-Dhulikhel;
Birgunj-Pathalaiya highway sections. Meanwhile work is being carried out
on a 15.4km stretch of the Suryabinayak- Dhulikhel road thanks to a
loan from the Japanese Government. The work on the 28km stretch of the
Birgunj-Pathlayia route is being carried out under the BOOT model. When
the work is complete on these roads, journey times to India and China
will be reduced, which will help to give the country’s economy a
significant and much needed boost, and its agricultural industry will
find new markets in these neighbouring nations.
The 58km KKHT link passes through challenging topography for road construction
Since Nepal embarked on its road
construction programme, the Ministry of Physical Planning works and
Transport Management said that the country has so far built 25,115km
of roads, of which 11,565km is dirt road, 6,077km is gravel road and
7,474km is
asphalt paved road. Statistics from the Ministry of
Physical Planning, Works and Transport Management showed that 1,180km
of new roads were constructed in Nepal in the 2011-2012 fiscal year
alone. The statistics revealed that of the 1,180km of roads (short of
the 1,280km target), 290km were surfaced with
asphalt and 407km were
gravel roads, while there were also 47 new bridges built in the
period.
Arguably the most significant project underway in
Nepal at present is for the 58km highway connecting Kathmandu with
Kulekhani and Hetauda and which includes the construction of three new
road tunnel sections. The Kathmandu - Kulekhani - Hetauda route is
being carried out as a build-operate-transfer (BOT) project, the first
tolled highway in Nepal being built under this model since the
necessary legislation was drafted. The Kathmandu - Kulekhani - Hetauda
Tunnel (KKHT) Highway is being designed with two lanes in either
direction as well as a median strip. It will be operated under a
30-year concession signed with the Nepal Government, with an option to
extend the deal by a further five years.
The three,
four-lane tunnels, measure 3,425m, 735m and 392m in length and total
4.5km. The longest stretch of tunnel is being built from Kulekhani to
Bhimfedi, with the 735m tunnel being constructed at Bhainse and the
392m tunnel being driven at Chobar. The project developer is Nepal
Purbadhar Bikash (NPBCL) while the prime consultant for the project is
the Full Bright Consultancy. NPBCL says it is the first public
limited company in Nepal that has been established to build a national
toll highway to Asian Highway Standards.
The highway is
expected to cost some $375 million and will reduce the journey time
between Hetauda in Makawanpur and Balkhu in Kathmandu from six to eight
hours at present, to just one hour. Once the new route is open in
December 2016, it is also expected to improve traffic safety as the
existing routes feature a number of dangerous stretches. The highway
will provide a much shorter route out of the Kathmandu Valley and its
construction will provide better transport links between the west of the
country to the south and east. This key transport route is expected
to make a significant boost to economic development along the corridor
in particular, and in Nepal as a whole in general. The existing 227km
route from Hetauda-Narayanghat-Mugling-Kathmandu carries the heaviest
traffic of any route in the country, providing an important trade
route to India. One alternative route is the 133km Tribhuvan Highway,
but this is not suited to high speed transport and the journey takes
seven to eight hours. While there are other shorter routes these are
in poor condition and are not suited to high speed transport.
The Nepalese Government
is working on plans to build a series of highways that will improve
north-south connectivity. The new Karnali road will link Khulalu,
Simikot and Hilsa and will be 286km long. The first phase of the
Kaligandaki highway will link Gaindakot, Mirmi, Balubang and Phalebas in
Parbat and will be 283km long, while its second phase will link Kusma,
Phalebas, Setibeni and Mirmi and will be 98km long. The Koshi Corridor
highway will pass through Basantapur in Terathum to Kimanthanka and will
measure 195km long. In all, the planned roads measure some 1,350km long
but the various routes present major engineering challenges due to
Nepal’s altitude and complex geological conditions.
Nepal
has established a new framework to help boost the efficiency of its
transportation plans and investments. Key road sections in the Kathmandu
valley will be widened, Putalisadak-Kamalpokhari, Kamalpokhari-Ratopul,
Lainchour-Sorhakhute, Maitighar-Banewshwore, Naghpokhari-Balaju bypass,
Naxal-Narayanchour, Dillibazzar-Baluwatar-Maharajgunj.
Another key project for the country is the Kathmandu-Nijgadh-Pathlaiya
Terai/Madesh Expressway project, also being built under the PPP model.
The 76km expressway is expected to cost $853 million to construct and it
will feature 84 bridges, of which 22 will have spans of 30-50m and
seven will span 115m. The road will be tolled, with the concaession
running until 2035.
But a major problem for Kathmandu in general is
that the current road infrastructure in the city is not sufficient for
the increasing numbers of vehicles. In a bid to tackle the problem, the
authorities initiated a programme of road widening to reduce traffic
jams, especially during peak hours. The Chinese Government
has provided Nepal with expertise and funding for the ring road
development around capital Kathmandu. The programme is for the widening
of 27km of the ring road from its present four lanes to eight lanes in
all. The road is being upgraded in three separate phases, with the first
stage being the 9km Kalanki-Koteshowre section and the building of a
new interchange.
The growth in vehicle numbers has been
significant. In 1992 there were just 48,188 registered vehicles in the
Kathmandu Valley and the total length of the road network in the area
was 1,595km. There are now 567,670 registered in the Kathmandu Valley.
And it is worth noting that this figure does not include other vehicles
registered elsewhere in the country travelling through the valley, or
vehicles entering the country from neighbouring China or India.
According to Nepal’s Metropolitan Traffic Division, there are now around
800,000 vehicles in the valley overall.
Kathmandu is a busy city with increasingly high traffic volumes – image courtesy of Ram Krishna Wagle
Aviation is well developed in Nepal but the country's air safety record is not optimal
Agriculture
accounts for 35% of Nepal’s GDP and this sector also employs around 75%
of the country’s workforce. Transporting goods to market is crucial
for economic development, particularly with regard to trade with China
and India. Improved road links will cut transport times and costs and
boost the economic benefits of trade with the neighbouring countries
for Nepal’s producers.
Air travel is well-developed and
Nepal has 47 airports, 11 of which have proper surfaced runways.
However Nepal’s air safety record is not good due to many of the
airports being located at high altitudes where weather conditions can
be subject to rapid change. The country has airport facilities noted to
be amongst the highest and most challenging for pilots, while aircraft
condition is not always optimal and crashes are not infrequent.
Road Improvement under Kathmandu Valley Road Improvement Project, Kamalpokhari Gyaneshwor road section
The
Nepalese Government has carried out a comprehensive survey of road
transportation. This has been the first time in the country’s history
that such a survey has been undertaken, with Nepal’s Central Bureau of
Statistics gathering data to help government fiscal planning, public
transportation and also help in education and research.
Nepal's Ministry of Physical Planning and Works, Nepal has carried out extensive traffic improvement studies for the Kathmandu valley, with assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Nepal's Department of Roads is using traffic data based on research work into congestion carried out by consultants. Being
small, landlocked and mountainous, poverty is a major issue in Nepal.
But despite its small economy, Nepal’s progress on reducing poverty has
been highly effective and continues. However unemployment levels remain
high and many citizens currently leave the country to find employment
elsewhere around the world. Australia, Canada, India, Japan, Saudi
Arabia, Thailand and the UK are amongst the key countries where Nepalese
move to find work. Nepalese soldiers are highly regarded for their
bravery and in a curious historical anomaly, also fight for both the
British and Indian armies in special Gurkha battalions. This is also of
key economic importance, contributing nearly 23% of Nepal’s GDP.
Nepal
has to import fuel for power generation and transportation from China
and India as the country does not have any deposits of gas or coal of
its own. Despite the fact that Nepal’s hilly and mountainous areas
feature many fast flowing rivers, hydroelectricity accounts for only 40%
of the country’s power generation at present. The country has around 20
hydroelectric plants (as well as some smaller facilities) at the
moment, generating some 600MW. A further nine hydroelectric plants are
being built, with 27 having been identified for future development. But
some estimates suggest that the country has the potential to produce a
total of 44,000MW from 66 sites in all. This is a key issue as Nepal has
a shortage of electrical power at present, particularly in rural areas.
Only 40% of Nepal’s population overall have access to electricity and
the vast majority of those properties connected to the grid are in the
major urban areas. The electricity supply is also unreliable at present
with long power cuts common, particularly in wintertime when demand is
highest, while costs to consumers are high and the system is also said
to be highly inefficient.
The construction of two
particular bridges is improving access to remote areas, as well as to an
important power generation facility. The Arun River Bridge at
Leguwaghat in Dhankuta, and the Sabha Khola Bridge in Sankhuwasabha
District are of major significance. The Arun River Bridge provides a key
link to access a network of 162km of roads, while the Sabha Khola
Bridge connects with Sankhuwasabha District and is also important for
the Arun III hydroelectric project.
UK consultant IMC
Worldwide carried out the engineering design report and suggested that
the most appropriate bridge layouts would be single 120m-span
through-truss decks with 6m wide carriageways, and featuring a 1m raised
footpath on one side. The bridges have semi-circular, steel trusses,
with in-situ reinforced concrete deck slabs on reinforced concrete
cantilever abutments and wing walls. The structures have a design life
of 100 years, with the Sabha Khola Bridge built on rock and well
foundations up to 16m deep for the Arun Bridge at Leguwa. The
foundations have been protected against scour to maximise longevity.
Source- World Highways
