The expansion of Kathmandu’s ring road has left commuters choking on dust and caught in hour-long traffic jams. Groups opposed to the road expansion also claim it is threatening the city’s cultural heritage. ‘[Road expansion] is displacing the indigenous Newar people from their own land. Lots of heritage sites will be affected … Kathmandu needs to be preserved,’ says Suraj Maharjan of the Save Nepa Valley campaign FacebookTwitterPinterest Bhai Kaji Tiwari, development commissioner of the Kathmandu Valley Development Authority dismissed the concerns of anti-road expansion groups, saying: ‘[Opponents of the road expansion] are angry now, but afterwards they will enjoy it. It will be good for business and the environment will be better’ FacebookTwitterPinterest The widening of Kathmandu’s ring road is at the heart of the programme and is seen as a driver for economic development. The government is now planning to build an outer ring road <a class="rounded-icon block-share__item block-share__item--facebook js-blockshare-link" href="https://www.facebook.com/dialo..." target="_blank" data-link-name="social facebook" style="background: transparent; touch-action: manipulation; color: rgb(220, 220, 220); cursor: pointer; border-radius: 62.5rem; display: block; vertical-align: middle; position: relative; float: left; border-width: 0.0625rem; border