KAVRE: Authorities are preparing to resume vehicular movement along the BP Highway from Saturday morning after constructing temporary diversions across several flood-damaged sections.
According to Senior Divisional Engineer Suman Yogesh of the Bhaktapur Division Road Office, crews have completed opening the track from Chaukidanda in Namobuddha Municipality-6 to Chiuribas in Roshi Rural Municipality, where floodwaters had washed away parts of the road.
“Once all sections are cleared, we will test the route with limited vehicles and fully reopen the highway by Saturday morning,” Yogesh said.
The Roshi River floods had destroyed nearly four kilometers of roadway, prompting the start of diversion construction on Tuesday. More than two dozen heavy machines have been working day and night since Thursday to rebuild temporary tracks.
“After all the tracks are opened, we’ll carry out additional maintenance on narrow bends and curves. The entire stretch should be ready by this evening,” Yogesh added.
Currently, diversion work is ongoing in the Mamtib area of Roshi Rural Municipality.
The floods and landslides had damaged 17 different sections of the BP Highway. Temporary diversions were already in use in some of those areas after last year’s monsoon damage.
On Thursday, Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Kulman Ghising inspected several affected sections and directed the Department of Roads to expedite the work to ensure the highway reopens as soon as possible. He instructed officials to continue night shifts if necessary to restore traffic flow by Friday evening.
The road office is also advancing the process of awarding contracts for the permanent reconstruction of the damaged highway, divided into four sections. The BP Highway serves as a vital short route linking eastern Nepal with the Kathmandu Valley, carrying thousands of vehicles daily.
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