The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is delivering a loan that will help improve a key road link in Nepal. The US$300 million loan will be used for maintenance and upgrade work to the road linking Laukahi and Kakarbhitta.
This route is of economic importance for Nepal as it provides a key international link with India and Bangladesh. The road is part of Nepal’s East-West Highway, itself a section of the important South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation Corridor.
Nepal’s Department of Roads will oversee the upgrade project, which involves widening and improving a 95km stretch of the route to dual carriageway status with two lanes in either direction. At present the road section features just one lane in either direction and the improvement work will boost capacity as well as safety on the road. The upgrade work will include the use of pavement materials able to cope with the wide thermal gradient and heavy mechanical loads as well as the construction of bridges designed to withstand heavy flooding.
