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🇳🇵 Nepal /Energy & Infrastructure

Repeated BP Highway Closures Make Pushpalal Only Viable Option

From Kathmandu Post · (5m ago) English Critical tone

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Frequent closures of the BP Highway due to rainfall have made the Pushpalal Mid-Hill Highway a crucial alternative for connecting eastern Nepal to the capital.
  • The BP Highway's vulnerability stems from sections built along river diversions that are easily washed away during floods.
  • While the Pushpalal Highway offers a more reliable, albeit longer, route, it also faces its own challenges with ongoing repairs and restoration efforts.

The recurring disruptions on the BP Highway, a critical artery for Nepal, have underscored the growing importance of the Pushpalal Mid-Hill Highway as a vital alternative. With even light rainfall causing repeated closures over the past month, commuters and authorities alike are increasingly turning to the Pushpalal Highway to maintain connectivity between eastern Nepal and the national capital.

We have been reopening and closing the road frequently after floods sweep away temporary diversions. Construction is underway to shift the road to higher ground where possible. Until then, vehicles must rely on riverbed diversions, which are risky during rains.

— Suman YogeshChief of the Road Division Office in Bhaktapur, explaining the frequent disruptions on the BP Highway.

The BP Highway's vulnerability is particularly pronounced along an eight-kilometer stretch constructed alongside a river diversion. When the Roshi River swells, these temporary diversions are frequently washed away, leading to prolonged traffic halts. This has created a cycle of reopening and closing the road, with contractors tasked with restoring these temporary routes, a process that, while not imposing additional financial burdens on the state, causes significant inconvenience and raises urgent questions about the highway's long-term reliability.

In light of these persistent issues, the Pushpalal Highway has emerged as the primary alternative. Following devastating floods in October 2024 that severely damaged the BP Highway, traffic to and from districts like Ramechhap, Okhaldhunga, Solukhumbu, and Khotang has been rerouted. Bus drivers in Manthali, Ramechhap's district headquarters, confirm that when the BP Highway is blocked, the Pushpalal Highway becomes the "only dependable route," despite being longer.

When the BP Highway closes, this becomes the only dependable route. It is longer, but at least we can move

— Bus driverDescribing the reliance on the Pushpalal Highway when the BP Highway is impassable.

However, the Pushpalal Highway is not without its own set of challenges. Recent floods have eroded sections of the road, including a significant portion near the Khimti Hydropower station. While new tracks have been opened, the pace of full restoration has been slow. The Sindhuli Road Division Office is undertaking repairs on flood and landslide-damaged sections, but progress has been slower than anticipated. Despite these ongoing works, officials are prioritizing the operational status of the Pushpalal Highway, instructing contractors to deploy machinery for rapid obstruction clearance.

Work is ongoing, but progress has been slower than expected

— Surdarshan UpretiInformation officer at Sindhuli Road Division Office, commenting on the slow pace of repairs on the Pushpalal Highway.

The Pushpalal Highway, which connects Khurkot to Manthali, Tamakoshi, Charikot, and eventually links with the Araniko Highway at Khadichaur before reaching Kathmandu, is largely blacktopped and two-lane, though some sections are still under construction. Its long-standing service to local communities, even before the BP Highway was fully operational, highlights its intrinsic value as a reliable transit route for the region.

We are ensuring that this alternative route remains open. Contractors have been instructed to deploy machinery to quickly clear any obstructions

— Surdarshan UpretiInformation officer at Sindhuli Road Division Office, emphasizing the priority given to keeping the Pushpalal Highway operational.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Kathmandu Post in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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