The government has finalized a Detailed Project Report (DPR) with a revised design for the reconstruction of a section of the BP Highway from Bhakundebenshi to Nepalthok, which was damaged by floods and landslides in late September. The new DPR estimates that rebuilding this 28-kilometer stretch will require an investment of Rs 9.66 billion.

The Road Division Office, Bhaktapur, under the Department of Roads, prepared the updated design, which differs from the original Japanese-assisted plan. The revision includes upgrading the road to a two-lane highway and adopting new technology to minimize flood damage, resulting in increased costs.

The BP Highway, which connects Kathmandu to the eastern Terai and hill districts, spans 160 kilometers. The division office has redesigned the damaged sections for reconstruction. Suman Yogesh, chief of the Road Division Office, Bhaktapur, stated that the new design incorporates lessons from the Japanese government’s initial construction.

"When Japan built it, the highway was designed as an intermediate lane, which is narrower than a standard two-lane road," Yogesh said. "Now, we have prepared a design and cost estimate to expand the 28-kilometer section into two lanes and submitted a proposal for funding assurance." A standard two-lane blacktopped road should have a width of nine meters, but the BP Highway currently has only six meters, making it difficult for two-way vehicles to pass freely.

The original design did not include "score depth" and a full two-lane width, which have now been added, increasing the project’s cost. "Score depth" refers to building a blacktop road with a retaining wall to prevent the river from eroding the roadbed. Since the highway runs along a slope, engineers have modified the design to include score depth measures. "A wall will be raised from below the riverbed and road surface, with heights of two to four meters depending on the location. This wall will be made of reinforced concrete or machinery," Yogesh explained.

The Government of Nepal will handle the construction, which, according to the DPR, will take about three years to complete. While vehicles can currently use the highway, problems are expected during the monsoon season. The road’s height and slope are being adjusted, and wire mesh will be installed in areas affected by river flow to prevent further damage.

Former Secretary Arjun Jung Thapa revealed that plans to widen all sections of the highway to two lanes were in place even before the COVID-19 pandemic. "At the time, the Japanese government had agreed to provide technical assistance. However, Japan suggested expanding only the easier sections and excluding areas with large retaining walls," Thapa said. "The pandemic halted the project, but now there is an opportunity to proceed with the two-lane expansion."

The BP Highway consists of four sections: Bardibas to Sindhuli, Sindhuli to Khurkot, Khurkot to Nepalthok, and Nepalthok to Dhulikhel. When Japan originally built the highway, it invested Rs 250 million per kilometer in construction.