Intensive Reconstruction Underway on Damaged Sections of BP Highway Following Landslides

Kavrepalanchok. Permanent reconstruction work is rapidly progressing on the BP Highway, which was damaged by repeated floods and landslides. The Division Road Office, Bhaktapur, stated that the intensity of permanent reconstruction work, initiated from three locations along the damaged road sections of the highway—which serves as the shortest route connecting Nepal's eastern and central hilly regions to the federal capital Kathmandu—has been accelerated.

Senior Divisional Engineer Suman Yogesh, the office chief, said that the construction work is being intensified with the goal of completing infrastructure construction in vulnerable sections of the highway before the next monsoon and resuming traffic operations along the highway itself.

According to him, based on the progress of the work on the highway, the road reconstruction is expected to be completed within two years. Yogesh mentioned that currently, 25% of the work has been completed across the three contracted road sections on the Kavrepalanchok side.

Permanent reconstruction officially began in December after completing necessary procedures, especially following further damage during this year's monsoon, in addition to the damage caused by floods and landslides in Assoj 2081 BS. Yogesh informed that the contract agreement for the construction of the remaining 3.2-kilometer road section from Barkhekhola to Piple, which will be reconstructed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), is expected to be signed within this month.

Work is underway to construct 'RCC' retaining walls at various damaged locations, and the construction of plunge retaining walls from the river at Chaukidanda, as well as 'RCC' retaining walls at Charsyabesi and Bhakundebesi, has commenced. Furthermore, Yogesh stated that road widening work is also being carried out in the Dalabesi, Mangaltar section, and the Charsyabesi to Narke section.

He added that designs have been made for structures that will be resilient to flood damage in areas where the road was completely washed out ('washout') by last year's and this year's floods. The goal is to complete the reconstruction of the damaged sections of the highway in Kavrepalanchok and Sindhuli within the next two years.

According to the office, work on the reconstruction of the damaged highway commenced simultaneously across three sections. Yogesh explained that this year, work is being expedited to complete the construction of structures and road widening in the damaged areas, and next year, structures will be built in the remaining locations, followed by asphalting.

Floods and landslides had damaged approximately 30 kilometers of the road under this highway, spanning the Kavrepalanchok and Sindhuli sections.

The upcoming reconstruction will upgrade the highway to a two-lane road. "The reconstructed road sections will have two lanes, and the bridges within this section will also be constructed with two lanes by building an additional bridge alongside the existing ones," Yogesh stated.

He mentioned that there are plans to convert five bridges to two lanes. The office announced that Khani-Awan-Kamaljit JV has secured the contract for reconstructing the 8.5 km road from Dalabesi to Charsyabesi for NPR 1.4237 billion (including VAT).

Similarly, Lama-Navakantipur JV was awarded the contract for reconstructing the 11.08 km road from Charsyabesi to Bhakundebesi for NPR 1.3353 billion. It was also reported that the contract for reconstructing the 4.90 km road from Nepalthok to Barkhekhola was signed with Kharidhunga-Ghising-Kshitij JV for NPR 610 million (including VAT).

Of the total 29.5 km of damaged road, a Memorandum of Understanding has already been signed for the 3.2 km section from Barkhekhola to Piple, for which JICA will provide a grant assistance equivalent to NPR 2.63 billion. The government had already awarded contracts for sections other than the one to be built by JICA before Assoj last year.

The government has provided a source agreement of NPR 8.50 billion for the reconstruction of the damaged sections. Of this, NPR 7.50 billion was allocated for the three road sections on the Kavrepalanchok side, and NPR 1 billion for the road section in Sindhuli.

The construction of the BP Highway (Dhulikhel-Sindhuli-Bardibas 160 km road) began in the fiscal year 2053/054 with grant assistance from the Government of Japan. The highway, constructed in segments, was formally handed over by the Government of Japan to the Government of Nepal on Ashar 18, 2072 BS.

The highway is considered the shortest route connecting the central capital Kathmandu with the Central Hills and Eastern Nepal.