KAVRE: The Road Division Office in Bhaktapur has initiated temporary repairs on a 200-meter section of the BP Highway at Chaukidanda, which was severely damaged by recent monsoon floods.
This area, located at the border of Namobudhha and Roshi municipalities, experienced significant erosion of up to 50 meters due to the heightened flow of the Roshi River.
Suman Yogesh, Chief Senior Engineer of the Division, reported that efforts are underway to redirect the river’s course, paving the way 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 travelers have been stranded, awaiting aerial rescue since Sunday.
The 160-kilometer BP Highway serves as the shortest route connecting the federal capital with eastern Nepal through the mid-hilly region and has been completely blocked since Saturday morning.
A large cliff above the highway and increased water flow have made even foot travel challenging.
Road repair efforts have also commenced at Bhakundebesi in Kavrepalanchok and Nepalthok in Sindhuli to assist vehicles stranded on the highway in reaching their destinations.
The Bhaktapur Road Division Office began repair work on Tuesday from the No. 1 bridge up to Nepalthok, where the Roshi River has caused substantial damage.
The Dhulikhel-Bhakundebesi stretch of the highway, which was obstructed due to landslides, has been opened for one-way traffic since Monday.
The Division Office has deployed four excavators from the Kavre side and five dozers from the Nepalthok side to clear landslide debris and restore the highway.
Additionally, five pieces of equipment from Janakpur will repair the road up to Mangaltar and Narke, aiding the stranded vehicles in their journey toward Sindhuli.
While the exact extent of road damage from Bhakunde to Nepalthok is still being assessed, it is estimated that nearly two kilometers of the highway along this 29-kilometer stretch have been completely washed away by the floods.
The Office reports that the road has suffered severe damage at various points along the 84-kilometer stretch, particularly in the third section from Khurkot of Sindhuli to Nepalthok (34 kilometers) and the fourth section from Nepalthok to Dhulikhel (50 kilometers).
The preliminary estimated cost for repairing the approximately two kilometers of damaged road, along with other affected areas, exceeds Rs 2 billion, according to Division Chief Yogesh.
The District Police Office in Kavrepalanchok noted that around 1,900 meters of the road along the Bhakunde-Nepalthok stretch has been damaged at 14 locations.
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