Financing for Phase 1 of the project has been received from the World Bank and bids should be submitted by 4th May 2026. A 19.2km section of the highway will be upgraded and widened from a single lane in either direction at present to two lanes in either direction once the work is complete. The work also includes upgrading several bridges along the route.
The Gorusinge–Chandrauta road project is a continuation of the Butwal–Gorusinge section. This road stretch starts near the Belwagurdawa Nadi Bridge (Chainage Km 640+000) and ends at Shivpur crossing, passing through Chandrauta Town in Kapilvastu District, Lumbini Province. The corridor connects Gorusinge and Shivaraj municipalities and passes through settlements including Imiliya, Champapur, Banku, and Shivpur. The alignment runs mainly through plain terrain and partially through community forest.
The upgraded road is expected to reduce travel time by 30%, improving connectivity within Nepal and access to India’s western seaports. It also supports the upgrading of the East–West Highway, Nepal’s main trade corridor that carries about 95% of the country’s land-based traded goods, helping strengthen regional connectivity and trade.
Meanwhile, the Nepalese Government has awarded the contract for work to the 35km road linking Lasikyap with Sisaul to the Nepalese Army. The road forms part of the 317km Bheri Corridor, running from Jamunaha located close to the border with India to Nepal’s border with China’s Tibetan Autonomous Region, via Surkhet, Salyan, Jajarkot, Rukum West and Dolpa.
