KATHMANDU — Two Chinese companies will be involved in constructing a part of Kathmandu-Terai Fast Track project, one of the National Pride Projects in Nepal, after the Nepal Army signed a contract with them on May 14, a senior military official said.

"Separate contracts were signed with China State Construction Engineering Corp Ltd and Poly Changda Engineering Co Ltd on May 14 for the construction of three tunnels, a few bridges and a partial road under the Fast Track project," Brigadier General Shantosh Ballave Poudyal, spokesperson for the Nepal Army, told Xinhua on May 15.

The Nepali government in 2017 authorized the Nepal Army to develop this highly prioritized project.

Once developed, this 72.5-km expressway will link the capital Kathmandu with southeastern Nijgadh town of the Bara district and cut travel time to less than an hour from several hours now.

An international airport has also been planned in Nijgadh and this road is expected to help the international travelers from the proposed airport to Kathmandu through this expressway.

The Nepal army is developing this project by separating it in 11 different clusters.

"The cluster where the two Chinese contractors will be involved is considered as the most complicated section of the entire road project because of need to construct the tunnels," said Poudyal.

According to the Nepal Army, the Chinese companies are expected to complete their works within three and a half years including a design period for around six months.

Initially, the Nepal Army was involved in opening track of this road project in 2009 and it completed the task in 2013. Later the project was handed over to it to develop the entire project in 2017.

This project has been touted as one of the game changer infrastructure projects in the country as it is expected to contribute to the economic integration between capital Kathmandu and the southern plain, a belt of agriculture and industrial production.