KAVREPALANCHOWK: Authorities are preparing to route traffic onto newly built, elevated tracks along the disaster-struck BP Highway within the next few days to safeguard commuters from the upcoming monsoon.

The road was heavily damaged between Bhakundebesi and Nepalthok by catastrophic flooding and landslides in late September 2024.

Crews have aggressively completed graveling and boulder reinforcements across critical segments, ensuring that vehicles can bypass vulnerable temporary river diversions that routinely wash away during heavy rainfall.

For safety and ongoing construction, a strict night-time traffic ban remains in place from 5:00 PM to 5:00 AM.

The permanent restoration is backed by an Rs 8.5 billion government budget divided into four packages—three in Kavrepalanchowk and one in Sindhuli—with contracts awarded to domestic joint ventures to expand the damaged 29.5 km stretch into a dual-lane highway.

Additionally, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is reconstructing a vital 3.2 km section from Barkhekhoa to Piple under an Rs 2.63 billion grant.

This comprehensive upgrade will also expand five single-lane bridges into two lanes.

Traffic is scheduled to shift to the new tracks by late June 2026, with permanent asphalt paving set to begin in the upcoming fiscal year.