Kathmandu, June 6: The ongoing monsoon has severely hampered road transport across Nepal, with multiple national highways affected and several completely shut down.
A Nepal Police report issued at 6 PM on Saturday revealed that 10 national highways have been impacted, with seven fully blocked. Among them, the Koshi Highway has remained closed since May 19 (Jestha 6) after floods in Barun Khola swept away a hum pipe in Bhotkhola Rural Municipality, Sankhuwasabha. Authorities suspect it may remain unusable for the entire monsoon season.
The Jajarkot-Dolpa-Bheri Corridor is blocked at Rijigar Khola in Rukum West since June 23 (Asar 9), and will only reopen after water levels drop. Similarly, the Kanti Lokpath linking Lalitpur and Makwanpur has nighttime vehicle restrictions (7 PM to 6 AM) since June 24.
Due to ongoing construction, the Kathmandu-Farping-Kulekhani route remains closed from June 26 to July 9 (Asar 12–25). In Humla, a dry landslide blocked the Karnali Corridor at Bakhe, while in Rolpa, the Martyrs’ Highway near Gramjim was obstructed by a landslide on Friday.
In Nawalparasi East, rainfall has disrupted the East-West Highway near Bishwakarma Temple. Meanwhile, in Kavre, a bridge collapse over Punhyamata Khola early Saturday morning completely shut the Banepa–Nala–Bhaktapur route. Likewise, the Mid-Hill Highway at Gittikhola in Jajarkot was blocked by a landslide around 8:15 AM.
Department of Roads spokesperson Prabhat Jha said teams are working to reopen highways swiftly, aiming to clear blockages within four hours, though major landslides may take longer. Equipment and personnel are on standby.
BP Highway Closed at night
Nighttime vehicle movement on the BP Highway—from Khurkot to Kathmandu—has been banned until August 2 (Shrawan 18) due to landslide risks. The restriction, previously set for 15 days, has now been extended for a month.
Suman Yogesh, chief of Bhaktapur Road Division, said round-the-clock efforts are being made to ensure travel safety. “Our main worry is the Rosi Khola; if it floods again like last October, it could overwhelm our efforts,” he added. Plans are underway for the highway's permanent reconstruction.
People's News Monitoring Service