KATHMANDU: Authorities have begun efforts to reopen the BP Highway after flooding in the Roshi River washed away diversion roads and disrupted traffic along several sections. The Road Division, Bhaktapur, said repair work resumed after the rainfall subsided.
According to Division Chief Suman Yogesh, around 1.68 kilometers of the highway has been damaged. Floodwaters washed away 300 meters of diversion road each at Chaukidanda and Katunje, 100 meters at Mamti and 285 meters at Piple. Landslides have also damaged 500 meters of road at Daunne-Kalopul and another 100 meters at Char Saybensi.
“We have started rebuilding the damaged diversions and are working to facilitate vehicle movement through the inner track of the highway, which is currently being reconstructed,” Yogesh said. Three heavy machines have been deployed at the Katunje section, with officials expecting to restore traffic there within a few hours.
The division estimates that around 48 hours will be required to remove debris and repair the damaged diversions so that regular traffic can resume. Reconstruction of the section being handled under a JICA contract is expected to continue until Sunday. Reconstruction work had earlier been suspended until Monday because of continuous rainfall but has now resumed.
The BP Highway had already sustained extensive damage in the second week of September, with disruptions reported along a 29-kilometer stretch between Dapcha Bridge and Nepalthok.
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