The foundation stone for the construction of a 3.2-kilometer road in the Peeple-Barkhekhola section of the BP Highway has been laid. The flood that occurred in Asoj 2081 between Bhakundebensi and Nepalthok damaged a 30.5-kilometer section.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will construct only 3.2 km of the damaged section. In addition, work has begun a year ago on 27.3 kilometers. Secretary of the Ministry of Infrastructure Development Gopal Sigdel and Japanese Ambassador to Nepal Maeda Toru jointly laid the foundation stone of the section to be constructed by JICA on Monday. Matsuzaki Mizuki, the chief representative of JICA Nepal, also participated in the foundation stone laying program. This section will be constructed with a grant from the Japanese government.

The section is being constructed with a grant of Rs 2.6 billion. Its construction should be completed by Mangsir 2084. Suman Yogesh, the head of the Road Division Office, Bhaktapur, which has been awarded the construction contract by the Japanese company Shimizu Corporation, said. ‘The construction company is digging the road at a depth of 7 meters and removing the soil and testing it,’ he said. ‘If there are any problems, there is a provision to add to the design and submit it again.’ This work will be completed before the monsoon, while construction will begin only after the monsoon.’ He said that the contract was signed only to make the 27.3-kilometer section suitable for use in the monsoon season.’

There is no preparation for the upcoming monsoon season on the road section that JICA has taken over the construction. ‘Permanent construction work has not started at this place. We will temporarily build a 5-meter-high embankment on the river bank for the rainy season and arrange for vehicles to drive,’ he said. ‘Flood risk is high in four places. We will arrange technicians and machines to solve any problems immediately.’ The flood of Asoj 2081 from Bhakundebesi to Nepalthok along the

highway caused the most damage in the 30.5-km area. The work has been progressed by making three packages, three towards Kavre and one towards Sindhuli. The contract for the 11-km section from Bhakundebesi to Charsayabesi of the two-lane highway has been won by Lama-Nawakantipur JV for Rs 1.14 billion. The contract for the 9 km stretch from Charsaybesi to Dalabesi has been signed with Khani-Kamaljit-Awan JV for Rs 1.22 billion excluding VAT. The contract for both contracts was signed in Ashar 082.

The contract for the 2.3 km stretch from Piple to Dalabesi was signed with Uma & Company-Bhandari-Amarjyoti JV in Kartik 082. The contract amount for this stretch is Rs 688 million. ‘Currently, we are constructing a diversion in the river and driving vehicles, but from time to time, the floods that occur after rain wash away the diversion,’ he said. ‘In such situations, we have been stopping the operation of vehicles, and after the floods subside, we have been driving vehicles again by creating a diversion.’ He said that arrangements will be made for driving vehicles from the track currently under construction from Ashar 15, keeping in mind the monsoon.

‘There is no blacktop at present, we will make arrangements to use gravel-level roads for vehicles, we will do the blacktop work in the next financial year,’ he said, ‘This road will be built up to a height of 10 meters, before the monsoon, we will use gravel up to 7 meters.’ He claims that there will be no need to drive vehicles through the river during the monsoon. ‘There is no problem during the monsoon, when the diversion river floods, the construction contractor who takes the contract for that section should work, there will be no additional cost,’ he said.

The 5-km section from the Barkhe River to Nepalthok falls in Sindhuli. The contract for that section has been taken by the Kharidhunga-Ghising-Kshitij JV. Its contract amount is Rs 550 million excluding VAT. The Roads Department has stated that the work of all sections should be completed within 2 years as per the agreement. Arrangements will be made to ply the Sindhuli section before the monsoon, said Parasmani Hamal, head of the Road Division, Khalte, Sindhuli. ‘The road is ready to ply in the Kaldhunga and Nepalthok sections during the monsoon. There is a school in the section near Kaldhunga and the road below it has been washed away by floods. We can work there within the next month. In the meantime, if there is a problem due to rain, we will make arrangements to ply the road at that place by building a dam.’ He said that with the onset of the monsoon, the newly built road track will be opened for vehicles and machines will be placed at various places.