DAUNNE: The Daunne section, which used to face hours of vehicle traffic jams even during normal rainfall until last year, has now become accessible.

With the expansion project of the Narayanghar–Butwal road reaching its final stages, vehicular movement in this area has become smooth even during the monsoon season.

Until last year, long traffic jams used to occur in the Daunne section due to minor rains, road construction, landslide clearance work, and vehicle breakdowns.

Thousands of passengers had to spend hours on the road, especially during the monsoon and winter seasons. However, this year, with most parts of the road asphalt-paved and construction entering its final phase, passengers do not have to endure such hardships.

Statistics show that the Daunne section, which falls under Binayi Tribeni-2 of Nawalpur, was obstructed 63 times between mid-July 2024 to mid-July 2025.

However, that situation has been eliminated this year. Local residents and drivers who use this road daily also state that this year’s situation is completely different from the past.

Ram Bahadur Bhusal, who regularly drives vehicles on this highway, recalled that it used to take hours just to cross Daunne in the past and expressed his happiness at being able to travel smoothly now. “Last year, as soon as it rained, we would get stuck in the Daunne traffic jam. Now, because the road is wide and asphalt-paved, the journey has become smooth. The travel time has also decreased,” he said.

Ghanshyam Giri, the Chairman of Binayi Tribeni Rural Municipality, stated that local residents, entrepreneurs, and passengers have felt a sense of relief since transportation began operating smoothly in the Daunne area.

“The problem of Daunne had become a matter of national concern. Now that the road expansion is in its final phase, movement has become smooth. This has started to bring a positive impact on the local economy, tourism, and daily life,” he said.

Yubaraj Khadka, the Superintendent of Police at the District Police Office, Nawalpur, stated that vehicle management in the Daunne area has become easier this year compared to last year.

“Last year, due to construction work and rain, we repeatedly had to manage long traffic jams. Now that the road condition has improved, vehicle operation is smooth. Under normal circumstances, there is no situation where the road remains blocked for a long time,” he said, adding, “Coordination between the police and the project has also made transport management effective.”

Shiva Khanal, the Information Officer and Engineer of the Narayangadh–Butwal Road Project (Eastern Section), stated that the journey has become smooth with the completion of the asphalt paving and concrete pouring of the main road.

“So far, the overall physical progress of the eastern section has reached 92.38 percent,” he said. “Now, works related to road safety, lane marking, signboards, and railings are underway. The situation where passengers had to face hardships due to construction, as in the past, has been resolved to a large extent.”

The Narayangadh–Butwal road, which falls among the busiest sections of the East-West Highway, is being expanded with the concessional loan support of the Asian Development Bank.

Under the project, the asphalt paving and concrete pouring of the main road in the eastern section have already been completed, while the construction of road safety measures and other auxiliary structures has reached its final stage, according to the project office. (RSS)