Despite facing several obstacles including lack of budget, issue of land acquisition and others, Chief of Army Staff General Prabhu Ram Sharma said that Kathmandu-Terai, Madhesh Expressway Will be completed by 2083.

CoAS General Sharma has informed that 36 percent progress has been completed in the construction. He has also announced that the construction of the highway will be completed within the year 2083.

Talking about the tunnel breakthrough program at Dhedre, CoAS General Sharma, who will complete his three year term on September 9, said, "The progress of this project is 36 percent complete, we can organize it within the specified time.

He said that the main challenge is the construction of the tunnel and as this work has been successfully completed, the rest of the work will also be completed within the stipulated time. He said that he was successful in the construction of the tunnel and the knowledge will be shared with the Nepalese engineers. "This is also a message that we can build such structures ourselves," he said.

General said that land acquisition in Bungmati and Khokna of Lalitpur has been spoiled by politics and said that it should be done by politics.

He informed that the land management work has been completed in other areas except this area.

Under the construction of Kathmandu-Tarai Expressway, Dhedre tunnel has been excavated. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli informed that the Dhedre tunnel has been broken on Kathmandu-Nijgarh side.

With the breakthrough of Dhedre, located in Bakaiya Rural Municipality of Makwanpur, all the tunnels of package number two contracted by Poli Chhangada Construction Company have been broken through.

Earlier, both tunnels of Lendada were excavated. The remaining Dhedre tunnel towards Kathmandu-Nijgarh was also excavated today.

Finance Minister, Defense Minister, Physical Infrastructure Minister, Chief of Army Staff, Chinese and Korean Ambassadors to Nepal are also participating in the breakthrough program.

The 70.977 km long highway has a total of 10.309 km of tunnels. Among them, Dhedre tunnel is 1691 meters long.

A total of 6 tunnels will be constructed in this project. The longest tunnel of 3355 meters will be constructed at Mahadevdada. According to the Nepal Army, 65 percent of the work has been completed.

According to the army, the overall progress of this project has reached 35.38 percent. According to the decision of 21 Baisakh 2074, the Nepal Army has been given the task of managing the construction of the Kathmandu Terai Expressway. The army is working on it by awarding contracts in different packages.

Currently, work is being done on the road section from 6.5 km to 70.977 km. However, due to disputes, work could not be started on the 6.5 km section from the starting point. An expressway is being constructed from Khokna in Lalitpur to Nijgadh in Bara.

At a time when there are growing concerns about whether the Nepal Army will complete the construction within the extended deadline, the Nepal Army said it is accelerating the pace to complete the task in time.

According to Nepal Army, in the last fiscal year 2080/2081, an additional 9.84 percent of work was completed.

Nepal Army spokesperson Brigadier General Gaurab Kumar KC emphasized the importance of the annual press briefing and expressed the hope that the media will disseminate the news to the general public.

Assistant Project Director Brigadier General Vikas Pokharel informed that 15.54 percent of the work has been completed in the last fiscal year. He also informed that 5 bridges have been constructed under the project.

Out of 89 bridges, 50 bridges are under construction. Army has informed that 3 thousand 335 trees have been cut down in the last fiscal year.

Till now 31743 trees have been felled. Similarly, 5409 meters of tunnels have been constructed. A total of 6667 meters of tunnels have to be built for the new arrivals.

Project Manager Brigadier General Pokharel informed that the army is working to complete the construction within the stipulated time. The government has extended the time for the second time and has given time to complete the construction in 2083 (March 2026).

With the announcement of CoAS General Sharma, it now seems certain that the project will be completed within the stipulated time.