The shortest road to reach China from Kathmandu has been completed after the Nepal Army (NA) opened the 17-kilometer track of Mailung-Syaphrubesi road.
Defense Minister Ishwor Pokharel inaugurated the road amidst a program organized at Mailung Sunday Morning. Minister Pokharel, Physical Infrastructure and Transport Minister Raghubir Mahaseth and Tourism Minister Rabindra Adhikari reached Syaphrubesi on vehicles after inauguration of the road.
The NA opened track of the 17-kilometer Mailung-Syaphrubesi road, that has shortened the Kathmandu-Rasuwagadhi route by almost 25 kilometers, on April 13. The track prepared can be used round the year apart from the monsoon season, according to the NA.
The NA handed over the road to the Department of Roads today itself. The department will start blacktopping of the road and it claims blacktopping of Mailung-Syaphrubesi will be completed within two years.
The Betravati-Dhunche-Syaphrubesi section of Pasang Lhamu Highway is 54-kilometer long. There are 35 turns in the uphill stretch from Betravati to Dhunche and the downhill one from there to Syaphrubesi. The road remains obstructed due to the frequent landslides at Ramche and Mulkharka.
The new Betravati-Mailung-Syaphrubesi road is 31 kilometers long. There are not too many turns in the Betravati-Mailung-Syaphrubesi road constructed along the banks of Trihuli river. The road is constructed along the left bank of Trishuli until Mailung from Syaphrubesi and along the right bank from Mailung connected by a 130-meter Bailey bridge at Mailung.
The department has also started to expand the 82-kilometer stretch from Galchhi of Dhading to Rasuwagadhi to two lanes.
The Chinese government has already signed an agreement to expand the 16-kilometer stretch from Syaphrubesi to Rasuwagadhi to two lanes and blacktop it.
This road is not just the shortest road to connect Kathmandu with China but also the shortest to connect India and China across the breadth of Nepal.
This road can connect with India at Thori border point in Chitwan through Galchhi-Muglin-Bharatpur.
China and Nepal last August had upgraded the Rasuwagadhi-Kerung to an international border point.
Rasuwagadhi-Kerung had come into operation as a bilateral border point since December 1, 2014. Nepali and Chinese nationals could cross the point with valid passport and visa until then. Even citizens of other countries can use the point after it was transformed to an international border point.
The Chinese side has already prepared road and other infrastructure from Kerung till Rasuwagadhi but much remains to be done on the Nepali side of the border.
