KATHMANDU: The nighttime traffic ban on the Kavrebhanjyang-Nepalthok stretch of BP Highway is kicking off on Thursday.
The local administration of Kavre took the decision due to heightened risks of floods and landslides resulting from monsoon rains.
A recent meeting of the District Security Committee, held in Dhulikhel, decided to halt vehicular movement on the section from 5 pm to 5 am daily for a month. The decision means motor vehicles heading towards Sindhuli will be stopped at Kavrebhanjyang, while those coming toward Kathmandu will be stopped at Nepalthok, which borders Sindhuli and Kavre districts.
Earlier, the local administrations of Kavre, Sindhuli and Ramechhap had put a ban on traffic movement between 6:30 pm and 6 am from June 21 till July 16.
Last year, floods and landslides in the last week of September caused significant damage to an 11-kilometre stretch of the highway.
Last year, floods and landslides in the last week of September caused significant damage to an 11-kilometre stretch of the highway, from Chaukidanda in Kavrepalanchok to Barkhe Khola in Sindhuli. The floods completely washed away the road in different places, forcing road authorities to build diversions.
The BP Highway, the shortest link between Kathmandu and eastern Nepal, as well as a few districts of Madhesh Province, is one of the busiest highways. It is used by hundreds of vehicles daily.
According to the Division Road Office, Bhaktapur, last year’s monsoon caused damage on 84 kilometers of the highway, specifically between Khurkot and Nepal Thok (34 km) and Nepal Thok to Dhulikhel (50 km). Some sections need to be completely rebuilt, road officials say.
The government has set aside nearly Rs 10 billion for the rehabilitation of the highway. The office has already initiated the tendering process.
