KATHMANDU, JUNE 20
Vehicular movement along the BP Highway will be suspended daily from 12:30 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. for the next 15 days, in light of potential travel risks posed by the monsoon season.
This decision was made during an inter-district coordination committee meeting held on Friday, which included officials from the district administrations of Kavrepalanchok, Sindhuli, and Ramechhap. The directive will come into effect starting 12:30 a.m. on Saturday.
According to Kavrepalanchok Chief District Officer Umesh Dhakal, the temporary restriction on vehicle operations is intended to minimize monsoon-related travel hazards. During the nightly closure, vehicles traveling from Kathmandu will be stopped at Kavrebhanjyang in Kavrepalanchok, while those heading towards the capital will be halted at Khurkot.
It is worth noting that an eight-kilometer stretch of the BP Highway-from Chaukidanda in Kavrepalanchok to Barkhekhola in Sindhuli-was washed away by unseasonal rainfall in late September last year. The section was later restored on a temporary basis.
The BP Highway is a vital transportation artery, serving as the shortest route connecting the federal capital to eastern Nepal, with thousands of vehicles traversing it daily.
According to the Road Division Office in Bhaktapur, heavy rainfall-induced floods and landslides caused extensive damage to multiple segments of the 160-kilometer highway-particularly between Khurkot and Nepal Thok (34 km), and Nepal Thok to Dhulikhel (50 km)-affecting a total of 84 kilometers.
