BP Highway Remains Impassable Before Dashain : Physical Infrastructure Ministry

The Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport has stated that the obstructed BP Highway will not be opened before Dashain.

Speaking at a press conference held at the ministry on Thursday, Secretary of the Ministry, Keshav Kumar Sharma, informed that the obstructed BP Highway will not be operational before Dashain.

He mentioned that a team from the ministry had conducted a field visit and concluded that there was no possibility of opening the BP Highway before Dashain. However, he stated that efforts to open the highway would continue.

He clarified that even if the highway is opened, only stranded vehicles will be rescued and that the road will not be opened to allow other vehicles to pass.

He said, “Looking at the condition of the BP Highway, there is no possibility of it opening before Dashain. We have reached that conclusion. We will continue the work because there are vehicles there. Since the vehicle staff are waiting for their vehicles, we will try our best to bring the stranded vehicles before Dashain. That will only be a rescue. We don’t see a situation where we can allow public vehicles to pass. It has been damaged in many places.”

It has been informed that due to heavy rainfall on Ashoj 11 and 12, 34 highways were obstructed at 805 locations due to landslides across the country. Secretary Sharma informed that landslides at 774 locations have been cleared and traffic has been resumed on 29 highways using departmental and rented machinery and manpower.

He said that efforts are ongoing to resume traffic on 31 locations of 5 main highways that are currently obstructed. According to the initial estimate so far, it is estimated that it will cost around Rs. 2.5 to 3 billion to temporarily restore traffic on roads and bridges.

Similarly, he said that it is estimated that it will cost Rs. 20 to 25 billion to permanently restore all the damaged structures.