Construction of the highway began in 1996 and after encountering different issues with materials, manpower and budget, the road was finally completed and handed over to the Nepalese government on 3 July 2015.

This project has taken this challenge to properly relocate the existing drinking water supply line and the irrigation channels so that the effect from these could be minimized.

[6] This route is important in that it is the only major eastbound exit from highly populated and quake-prone Kathmandu Valley; it is critical to be completed for emergency evacuation and relief purposes.

[7] Currently, Kathmandu relies solely upon one congested westward "highway" for its road links to the south: India, the Terai region, and Bangladesh.

Despite this, the highway criss-crosses through mountain regions with hairpin turns of widths of one bus wide in numerous areas.

[needs update][8] It now is projected to be finished in March 2015[9] The reasons for the delay include Japanese contractors lack of security for explosives, thus the road was created with manual labor, which later there was an admission that this was a mistake.,[10] as well as parliament gridlock.

[7] However, a major part linking the two improved regions was only completed in February 2009, funded with Japanese loans and contractors.