The Kathmandu-Terai/Madhes Fast Track (Expressway) (KTFT) project has entered the second phase of

construction work after completing almost all earthwork related works, the Army Headquarters said on
Wednesday. "We have reached the second phase of this project after the KTFT project office inked an
agreement with Yooshin Engineering Corporation, Korea JV, as an international consultant, to take the
remaining tunnel and bridges construction works ahead," Brigadier General and project chief Sharad Lal
Shrestha said. The physical progress report of the KTFT, one of the national pride projects of the
government, for the fiscal year (2018/19) is 11.11 per cent and the financial progress 9.10 per cent,
according to Brigadier Shrestha. Despite the lockdown, the NA has been giving continuity to the project's
work partially. As a set deadline to complete the project is Mid-July, 2024, the lockdown period has not
hampered the project's overall progress as the project office has prepared a holistic approach in which
11 separate clusters were designed to begin the remaining works of the project in specified timeline,
Shrestha said. The total length of the project is 72.5 km and Rs. 175 billion, including VAT, is estimated
to complete the project. The Expressway will be of Asian Highway Design Standard (Primary Class) with
‘A’level of service.