Japanese-Assisted Reconstruction of BP Highway’s Piple–Barkhekhola Section Begins

Kavrepalanchok — The reconstruction of the Piple–Barkhekhola section of the BP Highway in Kavrepalanchok, with Japanese assistance, commenced today. Japanese Ambassador to Nepal Maeda Toru and Secretary at the Ministry of Infrastructure Development Gopal Prasad Sigdel jointly laid the foundation stone for the project.

According to Senior Divisional Engineer Suman Yogesh, chief of the Bhaktapur Road Division Office, the reconstruction of a 3.2-kilometre stretch within this section has begun with financial and technical support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). He stated that approximately 30 kilometres of the BP Highway across Kavrepalanchok and Sindhuli were damaged by the floods and landslides of 12 Ashoj 2081, requiring reconstruction and maintenance.

Japan-based Shimizu Corporation has undertaken the responsibility for rebuilding the Piple–Barkhekhola road section. Yogesh said a bilateral agreement was signed on 13 Kartik 2082, under which Japan committed a grant assistance of 2.8 billion yen. The remaining procedures have now been completed and construction has commenced. Earlier, a JICA team had carried out preparatory works including camp construction and temporary track construction.

With this, the damaged sections of the BP Highway are now under construction across four stretches. Yogesh mentioned that around 25 percent of the work has been completed on the three previously contracted road sections towards Kavrepalanchok. Following further damage caused by the 2081 floods and the 2082 monsoon, the process for permanent reconstruction was initiated and work began from last Mangsir.

RCC walls are being constructed at various damaged sites, while construction of a plump wall in the river at Chaukidanda and RCC walls at Charsaybensi and Bhakundebensi has also commenced, Yogesh informed. Similarly, road widening works are underway at Dalabensi, Mangaltar section, and the Charsaybensi–Narke section. For locations where the road was completely washed out by floods last year and this year, flood-resistant structures have been designed.

Yogesh stated that structural works, road widening, and other tasks at damaged sites will be completed this year, while the remaining structures will be built and blacktopping will be expedited next year. The reconstruction involves upgrading the highway to a two-lane road. “The reconstructed section will be built as a two-lane road, and bridges within this stretch will also be made two-lane by constructing an additional bridge alongside the existing one,” Yogesh said. According to him, plans are in place to convert five bridges to two lanes.

The 8.5-kilometre Dalabensi–Charsaybensi road reconstruction has been awarded to Khani–Evan–Kamaljit JV at a contract value of Rs 1.42 billion 37 million.