KAVREPALANCHOK: The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has begun reconstruction of the Barshekhola-Piple section of the BP Highway in Sindhuli, which was severely damaged by floods.
Reconstruction work is also progressing on three other sections of the highway, according to the Division Road Office, Bhaktapur.
The office said an agreement worth Rs 2.6 billion had been signed with JICA for the reconstruction of the Barshekhola-Piple section, and work has recently commenced. Division Road Chief Suman Yogesh said physical progress on the reconstruction of the Piple-Bhakundebenshi section in Kavrepalanchok has reached 52 percent.
Similarly, the Khani-Awan-Kamaljit JV, which is responsible for reconstructing the 8.5-kilometre Dalabesi-Charsayabenshi section, has committed to completing the work by the end of June 2027.
The Lama-Nawakantipur JV is working to complete the 11.8-kilometre Charsayabenshi-Bhakundebenshi section by July 2027. Meanwhile, the Uma & Company-Bhandari JV, which has been awarded the contract for the 2.3-kilometre Piple-Dalabesi section, is expected to complete construction by November next year.
“The reconstruction of the BP Highway is progressing according to the set targets,” Yogesh said. The highway suffered extensive damage following floods in the Roshi Khola. Approximately 29 kilometres of the road, stretching from the Dapchakhola No. 1 bridge in Namobuddha Municipality of Kavrepalanchok to Nepalthok in Sindhuli, was severely damaged.
Of the affected stretch, reconstruction is underway along three sections covering 25.11 kilometres on the Kavrepalanchok side. According to Yogesh, preparations are being made to blacktop all three sections before the upcoming monsoon season.
The damaged highway is being reconstructed as a dedicated two-lane road to improve its capacity and ensure safer and more reliable transportation.
The reconstruction contracts include Rs 688 million for the Piple-Dalabesi section, awarded to Uma & Company-Bhandari Amarjyoti JV, and Rs 1.42 billion for the Dalabesi-Charsayabenshi section, awarded to Lama-Nawakantipur JV. The Charsayabenshi-Bhakundebenshi section has been assigned to Khani-Awan-Kamaljit JV.
Meanwhile, vehicles have resumed operating along the reconstructed sections of the highway. Yogesh said traffic was moving smoothly, although diversions had been arranged at a few narrow stretches to facilitate two-way movement.
Repair work is also underway at the steep slopes of Chowkidanda and Pinthali, where temporary diversions have been constructed. Similar arrangements have been made along the Dalabesi-Piple section.
Yogesh said that although traffic was currently operating on the reconstructed road, authorities were prepared to respond to possible disruptions caused by rainfall and landslides. He added that blockages could generally be cleared within 30 minutes to a few hours, depending on the severity of the obstruction.
The BP Highway is an important transportation corridor connecting Nepal’s eastern and mid-hill regions with Kathmandu, significantly reducing travel distances between these areas and the federal capital.
The government has allocated a total of Rs 8.5 billion for reconstructing the flood-damaged sections, including Rs 7.5 billion for the three sections in Kavrepalanchok and Rs 1 billion for the section in Sindhuli.
According to Yogesh, the reconstruction plan also includes upgrading five bridges into two-lane structures and constructing 63 kilometres of reinforced concrete (RCC) retaining walls across the three sections.
The 160-kilometre Dhulikhel-Sindhuli-Bardibas BP Highway was constructed with grant assistance from the Japanese government, with work beginning in fiscal year 2053/54 BS. Completed in phases, the highway was formally handed over to the Government of Nepal by the Japanese government on Asar 18, 2072 BS.
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