KAVREPALANCHOK: Starting this Sunday, vehicular movement along the Kavrepalanchok section of the BP Highway will be suspended for 10.5 hours every night for a month, according to a public notice issued by the District Administration Office (DAO).

The suspension applies from Kavrebhanjyang to Nepalthok, on the border with Sindhuli district, and will be in effect daily from 6:30 PM to 5:00 AM.

The decision has been taken to reduce the risks of monsoon-triggered disasters, particularly floods and landslides.

Earlier, on June 20, the district security committees of Kavrepalanchok, Sindhuli, and Ramechhap jointly decided to restrict night-time vehicular movement for 15 days starting June 21.

With the risk persisting, the restriction has now been extended for an additional month.

Chief District Officer of Kavrepalanchok, Umesh Dhakal, said that vehicles traveling from Kathmandu will be halted at Kavrebhanjyang, while those heading toward Kathmandu will be stopped at Nepalthok in Sindhuli.

This traffic management system is designed to minimize risks during heavy rainfall.

Last year, floods and landslides in October severely damaged an 8-kilometer stretch of the highway from Chaukidanda in Kavrepalanchok to Barkhekholaa in Sindhuli.

The BP Highway is a vital route linking eastern Nepal to Kathmandu, used daily by thousands of vehicles.

According to the Bhaktapur Division Road Office, the most damage occurred across two sections: a 34-kilometer stretch from Khurkot to Nepalthok in the third section and a 50-kilometer stretch from Nepalthok to Dhulikhel in the fourth section, totaling 84 kilometers affected out of the highway’s total 160 km length.

The road reconstruction process has been divided into four contract packages and is currently underway.