Kavreplanchok, Oct 6: Heavy rainfall in early October once again damaged sections of the BP Highway, cutting off direct access to Kathmandu from the eastern districts. A diversion built across the Roshi River after last year’s floods was washed away on Friday night, leaving vehicles unable to pass through the stretch between Kavre’s Chaukidanda and Sindhuli’s Nepalthok.
Officials from the Bhaktapur Road Division said repair work will start as soon as the water flow decreases. Machines and contractors are on standby, but engineers say the work can only begin when the river level recedes. If conditions allow, traffic could resume within four to seven days.
With the BP Highway blocked, travelers have turned to an alternative route through Ramechhap and Dolakha districts. Vehicles are now entering Kathmandu via the Pushpalal Highway: Khurkot to Manthali, then Charikot, before joining the Araniko Highway at Khadichaur. Police in Dolakha reported that over 500 vehicles used this route between Saturday afternoon and Sunday noon. Due to heavy traffic on Saturday night, more than 300 vehicles were held in Charikot until Sunday morning.
The sudden pressure has created congestion, but police have been deployed along the highway to manage the flow. Authorities also restricted night travel along the Khurkot–Manthali–Khimti–Milti section from Sunday evening to prevent accidents caused by rain, floods, and landslides.
The Pushpalal Highway itself faced challenges when a section at Tamakoshi Rural Municipality in Dolakha briefly collapsed, but it was restored to one-way traffic with the help of the Department of Roads. Elsewhere, local roads in Dolakha remain mostly open except for minor stretches.
In Sindhuli, transport has resumed on most roads except the Barhekhola–Nepalthok stretch of the BP Highway. Landslide debris has been cleared from several points on the Mid-Hill and Madan Bhandari highways. In Sindhupalchok, landslides blocked sections of the Araniko Highway, but security forces cleared the rocks and mud, reopening most parts except for Char Kilo in Bhotekoshi.
In Kavre, the worst-hit area, 19 diversions across the Roshi and Barhe rivers have been swept away, including the major Chaukidanda–Nepalthok stretch. Around 100 million rupees had been spent building these diversions after last year’s floods, but nearly all were destroyed within a year. The Araniko Highway section in Kavre was cleared on Sunday, allowing traffic to resume, but BP Highway remains blocked beyond Bhakunde.
Travelers now face longer journeys. The Dhulikhel–Khurkot–Kathmandu route on the BP Highway covered 105 km, but the Khurkot–Manthali–Charikot–Kathmandu alternative is about 204 km. The detour almost doubles travel distance and increases travel time, but it is currently the only way to enter Kathmandu from the east.
Police officials in Dolakha and Sindhupalchok said heavy vehicles still face difficulties on narrow and damaged sections, but smaller vehicles can pass through most areas without major problems.
In short, with the BP Highway washed out again, Kathmandu’s eastern gateway has shifted to the Pushpalal Highway, stretching the journey but keeping the capital connected.
People’s News Monitoring Service
Login to add a comment