KHOTANG: A new road has been opened through the towering cliffs of the well-known Ghartibhir, located on the border of Khalle in Diktel Rupakot Majhuwagadhi Municipality-4 and Rajapani in Halesi Tuwachung Municipality-11.

The road connects Diktel Bazaar with the Sagarmatha Highway via Ahale and Regmitar, creating a significantly shorter route for travelers and vehicles.

The project was completed with financial support from the Koshi Province Government through the Infrastructure Development Office, Khotang, at a total cost of NPR 10.778 million.

According to Accounting Officer Sitaram Raut, the Ministry allocated NPR 20 million for the project in the current fiscal year 2026/27, while Kamala Construction and Suppliers of Udaipur secured the contract through a competitive bidding process for NPR 10.7 million.

Ward Chairperson Khagendra Rai said the contractor spent nearly five months breaking the massive rock face using heavy excavators equipped with hydraulic breakers to open the road. The construction agreement for the project was signed in Magh 2082 BS.

Following the completion of the road, former Koshi Province Minister for Physical Infrastructure Development and Health, Bhupendra Rai, officially inaugurated the route on Saturday. He said the newly opened road provides a much shorter and more direct connection than the existing Mahure-Buipa-Rajapani-Regmitar route, making travel easier for both passengers and transport operators.

Although plans to build a road through Ghartibhir had existed for years, the steep and rocky terrain had discouraged previous attempts. After the establishment of the Infrastructure Development Office in Khotang, the provincial government allocated the necessary budget to complete the project. The new road replaces what was once only a narrow foot trail, creating a direct motorable route from Diktel to Gaighat and the eastern Terai.

The Diktel-Khanidanda-Ahale-Regmitar road has been identified as the shortest connection between Diktel Bazaar and the Terai and has therefore been prioritized by Diktel Rupakot Majhuwagadhi Municipality. Mayor Tirtha Raj Bhattarai said the municipality had already invested more than NPR 15 million to construct road tracks on both sides of the cliff before work on the final section began.

According to the mayor, the new alignment is about 17.5 kilometres shorter than the existing Diktel-Mahure-Buipa-Rajapani-Regmitar route. With the most challenging section now completed, authorities are preparing to open the road for regular vehicular traffic.

The new route is expected to improve passenger travel while ensuring smoother transportation of food, fuel, construction materials, and other essential goods into the district. Construction of a motorable bridge over the Dikhuwa Khola along the same corridor is also progressing with a provincial budget of NPR 30 million.

Steel trusses worth more than NPR 20 million have already been delivered to the bridge construction site. Once the bridge is completed, the road is expected to remain operational throughout the year, eliminating the long monsoon disruptions that previously affected the route and reducing the travel distance by 17.5 kilometres compared to the older alignment.