KATHMANDU: Fifteen years after its initial construction, the road in Beni Municipality-6, Bansbot area of Myagdi district has finally been upgraded and blacktopped using reinforced cement concrete.

The road was originally opened under the Arthunge-Pulachaur-Bhutpani road project of Beni Municipality, and its recent improvement came after a contract worth Rs 5.65 million was signed with Shramjibi Nirman Sewa. Funding for the project included a Rs 5 million conditional grant from the Gandaki Province government and an additional Rs 3 million from Beni Municipality.

Prior to blacktopping, the road underwent widening, construction of drains, and erection of retaining walls, according to Prakash Baniya, the director of the construction company involved.

Local resident Durga Dutta Poudel, a farmer and cattle raiser from Bansbot, expressed satisfaction with the road's upgrade, noting that travel time from Bansbot to Beni has been reduced significantly from 30 minutes to just 10 minutes.

Residents in the upper Beni community, Kurilakharka, and Arthunge Ode have also called for similar upgrades to enhance connectivity in their areas. The road links Ward No. 6 and 5 of Beni Municipality with Ward No. 1 of Mangala Rural Municipality, facilitating easier access to the district headquarters of Beni.

Meanwhile, additional projects are underway to upgrade sections of the Beni-Pulachaur road and blacktop the Sangamchowk to Hulakchowk segment, further improving infrastructure in the region.