New track to open above Krishnabhir to restore Prithvi Highway

Nepal plans to open a new track above Krishnabhir after flooding tore away part of the Prithvi Highway and disrupted a key route into Kathmandu.

The Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport decided to begin work immediately, aiming to restore supply links between disaster-affected areas and the capital. The temporary route will run above the gabion breast wall, allowing vehicles to pass the damaged section.

Officials also plan to install sacrificial gabion boxes and drop boulders from the hillside as they build the route. The highway section suffered severe damage when a Bhote Koshi flood swelled the Trishuli River and eroded the road from below.

For a longer-term fix, the Department of Roads will examine options including a tunnel, soil nailing and sheet piling. The ministry also ordered an immediate study of a tunnel or bypass around the existing section, with an alternative road targeted for completion by the end of the current fiscal year.

The Nepal Geotechnical Society will provide technical expertise and may sign a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Roads if needed.