BANKE: The Postal Road under construction in Banke has increasingly begun serving as an easier alternative route to the East–West Highway.
Traffic along the section connecting Kundachowk in Rapti Sonari Rural Municipality–6 to Agaiya has risen significantly. Passengers traveling between Nepalgunj and Dang, in particular, have started giving priority to this route.
According to Jun Bahadur Thapa, President of the Bheri Bus Entrepreneurs Association in Nepalgunj, the postal road offers a shorter travel distance compared to the Nepalgunj–Agaiya route via Kohalpur.
He added that travelers must also follow the time-card system imposed by Banke National Park when passing through Kohalpur, which is another reason more passengers are shifting to the postal road. The new road has also made travel easier for residents of Binauna and Baijapur across the Rapti River.
With the blacktopping of the Fattepur–Baijapur section along the postal road, residents of Rapti Sonari Rural Municipality have found it more convenient to travel to the district headquarters, Nepalgunj.
Chet Bahadur Bista, Principal of Bhubar Bhawani Secondary School in Binauna, Rapti Sonari–5, said the road has eased travel for residents of wards 1 through 6. It has also improved access for locals from Fattepur, Binauna, and Baijapur to reach the rural municipality centre in Agaiya.
Along with blacktopping, a bridge and several culverts have been constructed along the route. Ram Lakhan Tharu, Ward Chairperson of Rapti Sonari–7, said the new road has greatly simplified travel to and from the rural municipality office.
With the postal road now functioning as a reliable route, many residents have begun using it as an alternative to the East–West Highway. Tharu noted that the road is shorter, as Nepalgunj can be reached directly from Agaiya via Baijapur, Binauna, and Fattepur.
A wide concrete bridge is currently under construction at Sidhaniyaghat on the Rapti River as part of the postal road project. Once completed, it will help manage sections of the road that were previously eroded or submerged by the river, ensuring smoother vehicle movement.
At present, vehicles must wait their turn to cross the narrow existing bridge. The new bridge, which will be 11 metres wide, is expected to allow two-way traffic with ease.
Construction of the bridge is progressing rapidly, with more than 50 percent of the work completed, said Lila Bahadur Bhandari, Chief of the Postal Highway Directorate Planning Office in Nepalgunj.
He noted that the postal road has already begun serving as an alternative route for travelers heading east from Nepalgunj via Dang and that the new bridge will further improve travel efficiency once completed.
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