Nighttime Road Closure Begins on Daunne Section of Narayanghat–Butwal Highway for Expansion Work

Nawalpur: The Daunne section of the Narayanghat–Butwal road corridor, part of Nepal’s vital East-West Highway, will remain closed during nighttime hours starting today to accelerate the ongoing road expansion and repair works.

According to Engineer Shiva Khanal, Information Officer at the Eastern Section of the Narayanghat–Butwal Road Project, the road will be closed daily from 11 PM to 5 AM until Baisakh 15 (April 27). The closure aims to expedite the cutting of hillsides and other major infrastructure works.

“About 110 meters of rock cutting work remains in the narrow hillside stretch of Daunne,” said Khanal. “Given the terrain, it’s safer and more efficient to halt traffic at night while we continue with the construction.”

Previously, from Chaitra 27 to 31, traffic was halted from 11 AM to 3 PM for similar works. The new nighttime closure is designed to minimize traffic disruption while allowing uninterrupted construction activity.

Of the 14-kilometer Daunne section, four kilometers are particularly challenging, Khanal noted. To manage this, night lighting has been arranged to ensure steady progress. The larger project covers 114 kilometers, out of which 100 kilometers will be expanded to four lanes, while the Daunne portion will be developed into three lanes, including additional service lanes in urban areas.

The eastern Daunne stretch will require the construction of around 70 culverts, Khanal added. The project will also address potholes and follow up with further hill cutting.

Recent rainfall at the end of Chaitra had created muddy conditions, causing disruptions in vehicle movement, further highlighting the need for urgent road improvements.