Kavrepalanchok. The road section of the BP Highway damaged by the Roshi River flood in the second week of Asoj is to be reconstructed in four sections. The Division Road Office, Bhaktapur, has stated that the damaged road along the highway from Chowkidanda in Namobuddha Municipality in Kavrepalanchok to Barkhekhola in Sindhuli will be reconstructed in four sections.
According to the office, three sections of the damaged road section will be reconstructed at the cost of the Government of Nepal. The office stated that a request has been made to the Government of Japan for the reconstruction of one such section.
According to him, bids have been invited for two of the three sections towards Kavrepalanchok and one section towards Sindhuli. The office has stated that the road will be reconstructed using the existing road track while reconstructing the damaged road section.
The notice of bidding has been published for the reconstruction of approximately 11 kilometers of road from Bhakundebesi to Charsho Besi towards Kavrepalanchok, 8.5 kilometers of road from Dalabesi to Charsho Besi, and 4 kilometers of road from Barkhekhola to Nepalthok towards Sandhuli, informed Division Chief Senior Divisional Engineer Suman Yogesh.
According to him, a budget of Rs 8.5 billion has been secured from the Government of Nepal for the reconstruction of the damaged road section of the BP Highway. From this budget, Rs 7.5 billion will be spent on the three sections towards Kavrepalanchok and Rs 1 billion on the section towards Sindhuli.
Discussions are underway with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the reconstruction of the 5.5-kilometer road from Barkhekhola to Dalabesi, and since JICA is conducting an on-site study, the Japanese government seems almost ready to reconstruct the road section, Yogash said.
‘It seems that new work such as building small tunnels and viaducts (high bridges) may be possible on the said road section, discussions are underway with JICA for this. Considering the current situation, we have waited to issue a bid for the section since JICA is interested,’ he said. .
Yogesh said that a small tunnel of up to 500 meters can be built to straighten the small bends of the said road section. He said that the goal is to sign an agreement by the first week of Jestha to reconstruct the road section for which the notice has been published.
Similarly, while reconstructing the damaged highway, it is stated that the intermediate lane will be paved with a seven-meter-wide blacktop so that at least two vehicles can pass easily, and another road will be constructed by building an RCC wall below the river level that can be opened by the flood when the flood occurs in Rosikhola.
In the first phase, the office will make the 28-kilometer road from Bhakunde to Nepalthok two-lane. Currently, the office is working to increase the height of the temporary road to facilitate traffic operation on the BP Highway during the upcoming monsoon season. Yogesh said that the temporary road is being repaired by mobilizing 37 different equipment daily.
He said that in addition to changing the flow of the river to facilitate traffic operation during the rainy season, the road is being made three to seven meters higher using construction materials from the river itself. ‘We will complete the temporary work of increasing the height of the eight kilometers of temporary road damaged by the flood by mid-Baishakh,’ he said.
Meanwhile, JICA has started designing for the reconstruction of the 5.5 km Dalabesi-Barkhekhola road on the BP Highway. After the government started the process of making four packages and starting the construction process, JICA has started designing one of the four sections.
According to Shubharaj Neupane, an engineer at the Road Department, it has not been decided whether or not to construct the section being designed by JICA. Earlier, even after the flood damage, a JICA team had also studied the damaged highway.
After JICA conducted a study and did not respond to the request for reconstruction of the damaged road section, the government has now made four packages and called for contracts for three sections. The construction of the BP Highway (Dhulikhel-Sindhuli-Bardibas 160 km road) was started in the fiscal year 2053/54 with the grant assistance of the Government of Japan.
The highway, which was completed in sections, was formally handed over to the Government of Nepal by the Government of Japan on 18 Asad 2072 BS. The highway is considered as a short route connecting the central capital Kathmandu with the mid-hills and eastern Nepal.
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