Infrastructure Development Minister Sunil Lamsal has announced that Maldhunga bridge traffic begins today, 12 October 2026, with the repaired approach road of the Maldhunga bridge now in operation. Sharing the update in a Facebook post on Sunday morning (Nepal time), the minister confirmed that the vital Baglung to Parbat link is open for vehicles once again after repair work was completed on schedule.
Maldhunga Bridge Traffic Begins With the Approach Road Repaired
The Maldhunga bridge is an important link across the Kaligandaki river corridor connecting Baglung and Parbat districts. Floodwaters from the Kaligandaki had damaged the bridge’s approach road, cutting off a key connection in the region’s road network. Crews have now repaired the approach road, and with that work finished, Maldhunga bridge traffic begins its normal operation. Meeting the repair deadline before Dashain was the stated target, and the minister confirmed that the goal has been achieved on schedule.
From Final Stage Work to Running Traffic
This milestone did not arrive overnight. In an update shared just yesterday through this same feed, the minister reported that the approach road was in its final stage of work, with traffic targeted to start from tomorrow. Before that, an earlier report noted that filling work on the approach was nearly done, with only about 5 metres left to fill, and that geobag placement had already begun to protect the structure. The sequence shows steady progress across the final days of the repair campaign, culminating in today’s announcement that vehicles are actually moving across the bridge.
The Kaligandaki is one of Nepal’s major river systems, and its floods have repeatedly tested road infrastructure along its banks. Approach roads and embankments are often the first casualties when water levels surge, since fast-moving water scours the soil around bridge abutments. Repairing the Maldhunga approach therefore involved more than patching a surface; filling, compaction, and protective measures like geobags were needed to make the roadbed resilient against future high water.
Why the Dashain Timing Matters
The timing could hardly be better. Dashain is Nepal’s biggest festival, when hundreds of thousands of people travel to their home districts and demand for buses, trucks, and goods transport surges across the country. For communities in Baglung and Parbat, the bridge is a daily lifeline for access to markets, health services, schools, and administrative offices. Restoring it before the festival rush means families can travel home, traders can move stock, and emergency services can respond without long detours.
Dashain travel peaks in the days leading up to the main tika day, when bus parks in Kathmandu and regional hubs run extra services. A fully open Maldhunga bridge means those services can keep to their schedules on the Baglung to Parbat corridor instead of diverting around the damaged section. For passengers, that translates into shorter journeys and more reliable connections during the most important travel week of the year.
Announcing the reopening, the minister said the approach road of the Maldhunga bridge has been repaired and that traffic is in operation from today. He added that the bridge, an important link connecting Baglung and Parbat that was damaged by the Kaligandaki river flood, met its target of being brought back into operation before Dashain.
With the link restored, local economies on both sides of the river can return to normal. Baglung and Parbat trade daily in agricultural produce, construction materials, and consumer goods, and even a short closure forces costly detours or delays. The reopening also reassures residents that the ministry’s repair program is tracking its festival-season commitments, with crews working through the final stretch to deliver the crossing on time.
Road users should still drive with care on the freshly repaired approach. Newly filled and compacted sections can settle during the first weeks of traffic, especially if rain returns, so keeping to moderate speeds and following any signage posted near the bridge will help keep the crossing safe.
Source: Minister Sunil Lamsal’s Facebook post, 12 October 2026.