Repairs do not last on Koshi Highway due to cargo trucks

By Nawaraj Kattel,Biratnagar, May 17: Vehicles constantly race along the blacktopped section of the Koshi Highway from Rani to Dhat under Biratnagar Metropolitan City. Due to the lack of annual maintenance, the tar has worn out and the road has become bumpy in various parts.

The road from Roadshesh to the southern side was once repaired. Last year, the section from Roadshesh to Bargachhi in the north was maintained after protests arose due to increased accident risks near Bargachhi. However, even the repaired sections have started to deteriorate again. In the rest of the blacktopped road, chunks of blacktops have formed, creating bumpy, uneven surfaces.

The vehicles carrying goods to and from the industrial zone are too heavy for the road to bear. The road often sinks under pressure. The issue is most severe in the three lanes on the western side of six lane road. Especially the lane nearest to the divider has sustained the most damage.

Every day, around 300 cargo trucks enter the country through the Biratnagar customs office, carrying industrial and commercial goods. After customs clearance, these trucks transport raw materials and commercial items to their destinations in the Sunsari-Morang Industrial Corridor. 

Trucks carrying raw materials for steel factories often carry up to 90 tonnes, whereas the road is only built to support 10 tonnes. As a result, the asphalt peels away, forming rough, uneven patches.

Heavy vehicles transporting goods for iron industries via bulk cargo can weigh up to 90 tonnes. With vehicles ranging from a minimum of 10 tonnes to a maximum of 90 tonnes entering the country, the road cannot bear the load. 

The 4.5-kilometre stretch from the ICP area to the Koshi Highway is in a similar condition. Roads from the ICP and its link road to the Sunsari-Morang corridor via the Koshi Highway are riddled with potholes from overuse by heavy cargo trucks. Since many vehicles exceed this weight limit, repairs alone are not enough to maintain the road. 

According to Durga Mandal, engineer and information officer of the Six-Lane Road Project, the problem recurs frequently because there’s no periodic maintenance and because vehicles carry more than the permitted load.

Engineer Mandal said that the road from the ICP entry point in Biratnagar-18 to Nemuwa in Budhiganga under the Koshi Highway repeatedly faces such issues. He explained that the three lanes on the eastern side of the road centre are not affected, but the western side continues to deteriorate, mainly due to overloaded industrial vehicles.

Out of the 49 kilometres between Rani and Dharan under the six-lane road project, 42 kilometres are currently under construction and 35 kilometres have been completed. 

Of the remaining seven kilometres, five kilometres from Sewti to Teenkune in Dharan are in the final phase, while 1.5 kilometres in the Duhabi market area of Sunsari are in the early stage. 

Mandal said that the project is now in the process of handing over the road to the Road Division Office in Biratnagar. Once under the division office, regular annual maintenance will become 

more manageable.