Temporary arrangements have been put in place to ensure uninterrupted transportation along the BP Highway, which suffered severe damage by the flood in the Roshi River in late September last year. The highway is a strategic route that connects Kathmandu to the Eastern Tarai plains through a significantly shorter and more direct path than alternative roads.
Since the reconstruction will take at least two years, officials have taken precautionary steps to maintain traffic during the ongoing monsoon season. According to the state-run news agency RSS, the Bhaktapur Division Road Office has built a temporary road surface at a slightly higher elevation than the previous one to keep vehicles moving. It has also deployed additional protective structures and equipment along the route.
To protect vulnerable sections of the highway in Kavrepalanchok—such as Chaukidanda, Katunje Besi, Mangaltar, and Mamti—workers have installed gabion walls. They have also stockpiled large boulders nearby for use in case of landslides.
Senior Divisional Engineer Suman Yogesh told RSS that the contractors have kept 15 sets of construction machinery on standby—including bulldozers, tippers, and loaders—to respond swiftly to blockages.
The Government of Nepal has started rebuilding about 29 kilometers of the damaged highway by dividing the project into four sections—three in Kavrepalanchok and one in Sindhuli. It aims to complete the reconstruction within two years.
In Kavrepalanchok, the joint venture of Khani, Kamaljeet, and Awan JV is reconstructing an 8.5-kilometer stretch from Dalabensi to Chaurisobensi at a cost of Rs 1.42 billion. Officials are currently evaluating bids for the 11-kilometer stretch from Chaurisobensi to Bhakundebensi. Another 5.5-kilometer section—from Barsekhola to Dalabensi—is being reconstructed jointly by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Government of Nepal. JICA is handling 3.2 kilometers of the work, and Nepal is managing the remaining 2.3 kilometers.
In Sindhuli, the Khalkte Division Road Office is preparing a contract agreement for the 4-kilometer section from Nepal Thok to Barsekhola.
The Bhaktapur Division Road Office has allocated Rs 8.5 billion for the entire reconstruction effort, with Rs 7.5 billion set aside for Kavrepalanchok and Rs 1 billion for Sindhuli.
Officials say monsoon rains will delay the start of major reconstruction. Once construction resumes, they plan to upgrade the Bhakundebensi–Nepal Thok stretch from an intermediate lane to a double-lane highway.
Japan began constructing the 160-kilometer BP Highway (Dhulikhel–Sindhuli–Bardibas) in Fiscal Year 1996/97 with grant assistance. After completing the project in phases, Japan handed it over to the Government of Nepal on July 3, 2015.
The BP Highway serves as a strategic corridor, enhancing connectivity between the federal capital Kathmandu and eastern Nepal through the mid-hill region. It plays a vital role in facilitating trade, travel, and regional integration. – With inputs from RSS
