The road was upgraded to six lanes, but the bridge stays two-lane

The widening of Phirke bridge, stalled by years of land disputes, contractor negligence and red tape, remains a chokepoint and accident hazard along Pokhara’s model highway.

Pokhara, the country's major tourist hub, saw the inauguration of a modern six-lane road stretching from Zero Kilometer to Bindhyabasini Temple in 2017. Hailed as the first of its kind in Gandaki Province, this ‘model road’ was celebrated as a milestone in regional infrastructure.