BP Highway Section to Open for Traffic by Mid-July

Kathmandu. Preparations are underway to open the Bhakundebesi-Nepalethok section of the BP Highway, damaged by devastating floods last October, for traffic from the roadside by Asar 15 (mid-July). The Road Division Bhaktapur is planning to resume vehicle operation from the main under-construction road, considering the potential disruption from river diversions during the monsoon. According to Suman Yogesh, chief of the Road Division Bhaktapur, the work is being expedited to allow vehicles to operate from the upper part of the road before the monsoon, as the current diversion is being washed away and obstructing the road even with normal rainfall. He stated that their main goal is to operate traffic through permanent structures, not through river diversions during the monsoon. According to him, important structures will be completed by the end of Jestha (mid-June), and vehicles will start plying from the side of the main road structure from Asar (mid-June to mid-July). Yogesh said, 'The total length of the Dhulikhel-Khawa section is 4 kilometers. Of this, the first layer of bituminous work has been completed on two and a half kilometers, while the sub-base work is underway on the remaining one and a half kilometers. After that, the work of base and DBM will depend on the availability of bitumen.' Even after the sub-base work is completed, the contractor does not have bitumen in stock. They say the work will proceed if it becomes available in the market. Other works will continue until then. Uttam Dhungel, a representative of the construction entrepreneurs, said that the target is to open the road by Asar 15 by working day and night. According to him, only 70 meters remain out of the 230 meters of the Baksinuguna section. It is being constructed in such a way that vehicles can operate within the next 4-5 days. Although the flood caused damage three times, he stated that there is currently no shortage of materials and manpower. Dhungel said, 'Our current physical progress has reached around 30 percent. Financial progress has reached 24-25 percent, and physical progress has reached 30-31 percent. All the necessary manpower and material resources for this project are available on site. The Baksinuguna section is the most sensitive section of our project. Out of the total length of 230 meters in this section, only 70 meters are remaining. Work is underway in this 70-meter section for operating traffic from above and for the next layer (lift) work.' The 29-kilometer road section from Bhakundebesi to Nepalethok, completely damaged by the floods of October 12 and 13, 2081 BS (2024 AD), has been divided into three parts for contracting. Work is ongoing in the first section from Bhakundebesi to Charasaybesi, covering 11.8 km. The physical progress of this section, being worked on by Navakantipur Lama JV, is more than 30 percent. The second section is Charasaybesi to Dalabeshi, 8.5 km. Kamaljeet Evan JV is working on this. Similarly, the third section from Dalabeshi to Barkhekhola is being constructed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), while the 4-kilometer section from Barkhekhola to Nepalethok is being worked on by a Nepali construction company. Along with reconstruction, this section of the BP Highway will now be upgraded from an 'intermediate lane' to a full two-lane standard road. According to Division Chief Yogesh, the road width will now be a minimum of 9 meters, with 7 meters for the main two lanes and 1-meter paved shoulders on both sides. The Road Division Bhaktapur has informed that the road is being expanded considering the current needs, although the initial design had estimated a smaller traffic volume.