Kavrepalanchok, Sept 16: The BP Highway, which had been closed for night travel due to monsoon-related risks, will reopen for 24-hour operation starting Ashoj 1, or September 17.
A meeting of the district security committee held at the Kavrepalanchok District Administration Office on Monday decided to allow round-the-clock operation of the road, as the monsoon is receding and with upcoming festivals like Dashain and Tihar in mind. The committee said the decision was made for passenger convenience, following the approved road safety plan.
According to a public notice issued by the office on Monday night, traffic had been completely halted since the first week of Asar. The night ban covered the 12 hours from Dhulikhel in Kavrepalanchok to Nepal Thok on the Sindhuli border, due to the risk of floods and landslides along the BP Highway.
The most recent extension of the ban began on Bhadau 16 for another 15 days, continuing the restrictions that had been in place since Asar 7, when night traffic was first suspended for 12 hours each night until the end of Bhadau.
Assistant Chief District Officer Sudarshan Shrestha said the office had repeatedly issued public notices urging caution, warning of potential disasters on the highway during the active monsoon and restricting traffic in the risk-prone areas as a precaution.
Travel on the BP Highway was considered high-risk during the monsoon, so private and public vehicles were barred from operating at night. Shrestha confirmed that the highway will fully reopen from Ashoj 1.
He said the ban had been imposed earlier because of risks at various points between Kavre Bhanjyang in Kavrepalanchok and Khurkot in Sindhuli. Vehicles heading from Kathmandu were stopped at Kavre Bhanjyang, while those coming toward Kathmandu were halted at Nepal Thok on the Sindhuli border.
An earlier inter-district coordination meeting of security officials from Kavrepalanchok, Sindhuli, and Ramechhap districts had decided to close the road from 6:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. from Asar 7, and from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. throughout the month of Saun.
Last year, floods and landslides in Ashoj washed away eight kilometers of road between Chauki Danda in Kavrepalanchok and Barshikhola in Sindhuli. Temporary traffic arrangements were put in place afterwards.
Landslides damaged 34 kilometers of the highway’s third section (Khurkot to Nepal Thok in Sindhuli) and 50 kilometers of its fourth section (Nepal Thok to Dhulikhel in Kavrepalanchok) out of the highway’s total 160 kilometers.
The district office said it is proceeding with contracts for permanent reconstruction of the damaged sections, divided into four packages. The BP Highway is the shortest route connecting eastern Nepal, carrying thousands of vehicles daily.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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