Mid-Hill Highway, one of Nepal’s national pride projects, begins in Panchthar and runs through Pokhara and Baglung before reaching Jhula Ghat in Baitadi on Nepal’s western border. The Pokhara stretch sees hundreds of daily passenger and cargo vehicles, making this upgrade highly significant.
The Pokhara Metropolitan City segment, from Harichok to Yamdi, has been under construction for several years and is now around 90 per cent complete, according to the Mid-Hill Highway Project Office in Parbat. The main construction work, including blacktopping, has finished, and the project has entered its final phase. Only tasks such as installing railings, barriers, and other road safety measures remain.
The contract for this section was signed with Motidan Construction Service on 14 Shrawan 2079 with a two-year deadline. Progress slowed due to delays from the contractor and technical challenges, including relocating electricity and water pipelines. As a result, the project deadline was extended three times, with the latest extension lasting until the end of Baisakh 2083. Despite this, the project office expects the work to finish ahead of the current deadline.
Local residents are relieved the road is nearing completion after years of dust, mud, and narrow road conditions. Many report their daily lives have already improved as the upgraded road takes shape.
Once fully completed, the Harichok–Yamdi section will make travel smoother and safer across western Nepal. It will also improve connectivity for communities in Baglung, the four districts of the former Dhaulagiri Zone, and northwestern parts of Kaski, offering a more reliable and comfortable travel route.
