The Kanti Highway construction progress has reached around 80 percent physical completion, with road works advancing rapidly across eight active contracts. Minister Sunil Lamsal shared the update in a Facebook post on 7 October 2026, noting that road maintenance and bridge construction are targeted for completion by the end of the current fiscal year.
The corridor stretches 90 km in total, with 50 km on the Makwanpur side and 40 km on the Lalitpur side. The highway is currently fully operational, so traffic keeps flowing while the remaining works are finished.
Why the Kanti Highway construction progress matters
The Kanti Highway connects the Kathmandu Valley with Makwanpur and the Terai, serving as an important alternative to the busy Tribhuvan Highway. For freight operators and daily commuters, a dependable second route out of the valley reduces pressure on a single corridor, shortens travel times and provides a lifeline when landslides or congestion close other roads during the monsoon months.
Reaching the 80 percent mark matters because it signals that the long-awaited corridor is finally within sight of completion, a development that businesses and residents in both Makwanpur and Lalitpur have been waiting years to see.
Eight contracts driving the Kanti Highway construction progress
Work is currently underway through eight active contracts spread across the 90 km route. The parallel contracting approach allows road maintenance, widening and bridge works to move ahead at the same time on different sections, which helps explain the rapid pace of the Kanti Highway construction progress in recent months.
With physical progress at around 80 percent, the focus has shifted to the finishing stages: completing bridge structures and carrying out road maintenance that will bring the full corridor up to a reliable, all-weather standard.
Bridges and maintenance targeted for fiscal year end
According to the minister’s update, both road maintenance and bridge construction are targeted for completion by the end of the current fiscal year. Because the Kanti Highway is fully operational today, the remaining works can proceed without closing the route, and travelers should see a steady improvement in riding quality as each section is finished.
A long-awaited southern gateway for the valley
The Kanti Highway has been one of the most talked-about road projects in the Kathmandu Valley for years, because a reliable southern link out of the valley has long been missing. Vehicles heading toward Makwanpur, the Terai and beyond have had to rely almost entirely on the Tribhuvan Highway, a route that is frequently congested and vulnerable to disruption during heavy monsoon rains.
A fully completed Kanti Highway would give commuters, transporters and emergency services a second dependable corridor, shortening journey times and spreading traffic across two routes. For farmers and traders in Makwanpur, it would mean quicker and cheaper access to the markets of the capital.
The minister’s 7 October update suggests that wait is nearing its end. With around 80 percent of physical works complete and the remaining bridges and maintenance targeted for the end of the current fiscal year, the Kanti Highway construction progress points to a corridor that will soon serve the valley and the Terai at its full potential.
Source: Minister Sunil Lamsal’s Facebook post, 7 October 2026
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