KATHMANDU: Authorities have decided to suspend vehicular movement along the BP Highway every night from 12:30 AM to 5:00 AM for the next 15 days, starting Saturday.
The move comes amid growing concerns over monsoon-related disasters such as landslides and floods.
The decision was made during an inter-district coordination meeting involving the security committees of Kavrepalanchok, Sindhuli, and Ramechhap districts, according to Kavrepalanchok Chief District Officer Umesh Dhakal.
“Due to high landslide and flood risk during the monsoon, public and private vehicles will not be allowed to travel at night on the highway for the next two weeks,” said Dhakal.
Vehicles heading from Kathmandu will be stopped at Kavrebhanjyang, while inbound vehicles toward the capital will be halted at Khurkot in Sindhuli.
Last year, floods and landslides destroyed nearly 8 kilometers of the road between Chaukidanda in Kavre and Barkhekhola in Sindhuli. Temporary one-way and two-way detours have since been established to maintain traffic flow.
The BP Highway, a key route connecting eastern Nepal to Kathmandu, sees thousands of vehicles daily. The Department of Roads reports that 84 kilometers of the 160-km highway—particularly the 34-km stretch from Khurkot to Nepalthok and the 50-km section from Nepalthok to Dhulikhel—have suffered extensive damage.
Reconstruction efforts have been divided into four contract packages, and the Department of Roads’ Bhaktapur Division is currently advancing the tendering process for permanent repairs.
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