BP Highway set for major upgrade

By Kedar Timalsina,Banepa, Sept. 6: The BP Highway, which suffered extensive damage due to severe flooding in September last year, is set to be reconstructed and upgraded from an intermediate lane to a standard two-lane highway.

The Road Division Office Bhaktapur has announced that the reconstruction will be carried out with a view to improving traffic flow and ensuring smoother travel for both passenger and freight vehicles.

Senior Divisional Engineer (CDE) Suman Yogesh, Chief of the Road Division Bhaktapur, confirmed that the highway, originally constructed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) as an intermediate lane, will now be expanded to a full two-lane road during the rebuilding process.

“An agreement has been signed for the reconstruction of two sections of the BP Highway to upgrade it to two lanes,” said CDE Yogesh.

According to him, Khani/Kamaljit/Awan JV has been contracted to reconstruct the 8.5-kilometre stretch from Dalabeshi to Charsaybeshi for Rs 1.22 billion, while Lama/Nawakantipur JV will handle the 11-kilometre section from Charsaybeshi to Bhakundebesi for Rs 1.14 billion.

JICA had originally built the road with a 5.5-metre carriageway, which posed operational challenges for larger vehicles. The reconstruction will widen the 29.5-kilometre section from Bhakundebesi to Nepalthok to 9 metres, facilitating the smoother movement of long-distance and heavy vehicles.

The Road Division Bhaktapur has prioritised the Bhakunde–Nepalthok section in the first phase of the two-lane upgrade. “Anticipating increasing traffic on the BP Highway, we are upgrading the current stretch to two lanes. Our study also shows that the 22.7-kilometre section from Dhulikhel to Bhakundebesi can also be expanded,” said Yogesh.

A Detailed Project Report (DPR) has already been prepared for the Dhulikhel–Bhakunde section. However, its implementation will depend on government approval and budget allocation.

Meanwhile, the government is also upgrading the Araniko Highway from Suryabinayak to Dhulikhel to six lanes. If the adjacent Dhulikhel–Bhakunde section on the BP Highway is also widened, it will significantly ease movement towards the eastern hills and Tarai.

The government has secured Rs 8.5 billion for the BP Highway’s reconstruction. Technicians say that since the contracts for two sections in Kavrepalanchok and one in Sindhuli were awarded at rates lower than estimated, the road expansion can be achieved without incurring additional costs.

In a separate development, the government has initiated discussions on constructing a tunnel to shorten the 30.5-kilometre stretch between Khurkot and Sindhuli Chiabasi. A formal request has been made to JICA to conduct a feasibility study.

Preliminary findings suggest that an 8.5-kilometre tunnel could reduce the current narrow and winding route by approximately 22 kilometres. If constructed, the tunnel, alongside the planned two-lane expansion from Dhulikhel to Khurkot, will significantly enhance the flow of long-distance traffic and reduce the need to 

travel via Chitwan.

Upon completion, the upgraded BP Highway will offer a shorter, safer, and more efficient route for vehicles entering the federal capital, Kathmandu, from the eastern Tarai and hill districts, strengthening connectivity and easing pressure on existing routes.