BP Highway reconstruction estimated to cost Rs 9.66bn

KAVREPALANCHOK: The reconstruction of various sections of the BP Highway, damaged by floods and landslides last September, is estimated to cost around Rs 9.66 billion, according to a study.

The Road Division Office in Bhaktapur estimates this amount will cover the reconstruction of road sections at various locations along the highway, from Bhakunde to Nepalthok. Out of the 12-kilometre road section from Chaukidanda in Namobuddha Municipality, Kavrepalanchok, to Kaldhunga in Roshi Rural Municipality, an eight-kilometre stretch was completely damaged.

Chief of the Division, Senior Engineer Suman Yogesh, said, “Although the study indicates that a bridge should be built first in some places, a conclusion will be reached after discussions. He added that RCC retaining walls should be built in places prone to flooding, while plum walls and gabion walls should be constructed in other locations.

Yogesh mentioned that the office was awaiting assurance of resources for the reconstruction. “The source of the funds has not been ensured. We will move forward with the contract process once the funds are secured from the donor agency and the Nepal Government,” he stated. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) conducted a study on the collapsed section of the highway in the third week of October.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli discussed the highway's reconstruction with the Japanese Ambassador to Nepal, Kikuta Yutaka, on October 16. The Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport (MoPIT) has already offered assistance to JICA for the road section reconstruction and is awaiting a report and response from the agency. According to MoPIT Secretary Keshab Kumar Sharma, preparations are underway to request the budget available in the disaster management fund of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA). The highway reconstruction will also be carried out with concessional loans from donor agencies such as Asian Development Bank (ADB) and World Bank. Sharma stated that preparations are ongoing to proceed with the contract process by February or March.

Yogesh noted that if the resources for reconstruction are delayed, there will be difficulties in operating transport during the coming monsoon season. He said that it would take at least two years to completely reconstruct the highway.

Most of the section from Chaukidanda in Kavrepalanchok to Barkhekhola in Sindhuli is damaged. The highway was brought back into operation two weeks after the disaster. The Division Office has been halting vehicular movement for 10 hours starting at 6:00 pm since October 16 due to the risk of dry landslips. 

The BP Highway, a short route connecting Kathmandu with the central hills and eastern Nepal, has been put into operation as both a one-way and two-way road at various locations.

The construction of the BP Highway (160-km Dhulikhel-Sindhuli-Bardibas road) began in the fiscal year 1996/97 with grant assistance from the Japanese government. The construction was completed in sections on July 3, 2015, and formally handed over to the Nepal Government by the Japanese government. The cost per kilometre of the highway was Rs 350 million when JICA constructed the highway.