BP Highway likely to reopen temporarily within days

KAVREPALANCHOK: The Road Division Bhaktapur has commenced temporary repairs on a 200-metre section of the BP Highway at Chaukidanda, which was significantly damaged by recent monsoon floods. This area, located at the border of Namobuddha and Roshi municipalities, experienced severe erosion of up to 50 metres due to the increased flow of the Roshi River.

Senior Engineer Suman Yogesh, Chief of the Division, stated that efforts are underway to correct the river's course, allowing for the temporary reopening of the highway. One-way traffic is expected to resume within a couple of days.

Since the highway's disruption last Saturday, locals and travellers were stranded, awaiting aerial rescue since Sunday. The 160-kilometre-long BP Highway, the shortest route connecting the federal capital with eastern Nepal through the mid-Hilly region, has remained fully blocked since Saturday morning. A giant cliff above the highway and increased water flow have made even foot travel challenging.

Road repair works have begun at Bhakundebesi in Kavrepalanchok and at Nepalthok in Sindhuli to facilitate the movement of vehicles stranded on the highway. The Road Division Office Bhaktapur initiated repair works from the No. 1 bridge up to Nepalthok on Tuesday, focusing on the stretch where the Roshi River caused significant damage.

The Dhulikhel-Bhakundebesi stretch of the highway, obstructed by a landslide, has been opened for one-way traffic since Monday. The Division Office Bhaktapur has deployed four pieces of equipment, including excavators from the Kavre side, and five pieces of equipment, including dozers from the Nepalthok side, to clear the landslide debris and reopen the highway. Additionally, five pieces of equipment brought from Janakpur will repair the road up to Mangaltar and Narke, facilitating the movement of stranded vehicles towards Sindhuli.

Although exact data on the extent of road damage from Bhakunde to Nepalthok is yet to be ascertained, it is estimated that nearly two kilometres of the highway on this 29-kilometre stretch have been completely washed away by the flood. The Office reported that the road is badly damaged at various points along the 84-kilometre stretch, including the third section of the highway, which is 34 kilometres from Khurkot in Sindhuli to Nepalthok, and the fourth section, which is 50 kilometres from Nepalthok to Dhulikhel.

The preliminary estimated cost of repairing the approximately two kilometres of damaged road and other affected areas is more than Rs 2 billion, according to Division Chief Yogesh. The District Police Office Kavrepalanchok reported that around 1,900 metres of the road on the Bhakunde-Nepalthok stretch have been damaged at 14 locations.

By RSS