The Tribenighat section of the BP Highway, which collapsed on February 19, has not been repaired yet.

Around 2,000 vehicles ply the highway daily. They have been facing hours-long traffic jam as the diversion route that skirts around the damaged highway section is narrow and rough.   

“A busy highway like this should be repaired immediately. But the authorities concerned has paid no attention towards fixing it,” said Bikram Thapa, a passenger on the highway. 

Suryabinayak-Dhulikhel-Khurkot-Sindhuli-Bardibas Road Project is responsible for the repair works. 

Project Manager Bharatkaji Debaju said that the repair works will begin soon. 

“We will soon invite tender and select the contractor within a few days through fast track,” he said, adding that the repair works could be completed by mid-July.

The 37-metre highway section had collapsed due to soil erosion. A number of factors, including poor traffic management and inadequate measures post-2015 earthquake, were also responsible for causing the damage on the road. The highway built with a Japanese grant of Rs 21.5 billion was inaugurated in July 2015. 

Japan had also pledged to provide Rs 1.5 billion grant for the maintenance of the highway for three years. Deabaju, however, said the government should use its own resources to fix the damage, claiming that it would take a long process to apply for the grant that Japan had promised.