BP Highway reconstruction is still far from finished, two years after the 2024 floods. The Kathmandu Post reported on October 26, 2026 that travellers returning after Dashain faced dusty roads and long traffic jams on the highway that links Kathmandu with the eastern Terai.
What happened with BP Highway reconstruction
The worst stretch is the Bhakundebesi–Nepalthok section, where the 2024 floods damaged 30.5 km of road. Vehicles there still use riverbed diversions and single-lane bridges.
Source: The Kathmandu Post.
Key details of the BP Highway reconstruction story
- Damaged length: 30.5 km of road on the Bhakundebesi–Nepalthok section.
- Traffic: more than 10,000 vehicles a day during the festival rush, against a normal 4,000 to 5,000, according to the chief of the Bhaktapur Division Road Office.
- Promise: the road office chief said the road would be blacktopped before next year’s Dashain.
- Contracts: work is split into four contract packages.
- Bridges: there are no immediate plans to contract new bridges, so the single-lane crossings remain for now.
Why it matters
The BP Highway is one of the shortest routes between Kathmandu and the eastern Terai. When BP Highway reconstruction drags on, trucks move slowly, take longer routes or wait at bottlenecks. That can delay deliveries of cement, steel, sand and other materials, and longer trips can add to transport costs that end up in your building budget.
For anyone building a house in Sindhuli, Kavre or the eastern Terai, or sourcing materials along this corridor, the delays are a practical issue, not just a travel nuisance. Dust and diversions also make the road harder for heavy loads in the dry season, and riverbed diversions can become risky once the monsoon returns.
What to do next
- Order materials early and keep a small stock on site so a late truck doesn’t stop work.
- Ask suppliers whether their delivery prices already include extra time on this route.
- Plan big deliveries for the dry season and avoid relying on riverbed diversions during the monsoon.
- Add a transport buffer to your budget. Our house construction cost calculator can help you see the overall cost before you start.
- Follow updates from the Department of Roads on progress and any closures.
For more background, see the original report from The Kathmandu Post and Department of Roads, Nepal. On our site, try our house construction cost calculator.
How to use construction news when planning your house
News about laws, roads, power and prices can feel far away from a single family house, but each story here changes something practical: what you pay, how long the work takes, or what paperwork you need. Before you start a build in Nepal, it helps to keep a short checklist and update it as the news changes.
- Rules: is your naksa approved, and does your design follow the national building code?
- Materials: where will cement, steel, bricks and sand come from, and how will they reach the site?
- Utilities: when will you apply for electricity and water connections?
- Budget: have you added a buffer for price rises and delays?
- People: are your engineer and contractor registered, and is their scope written down?
A good plan does not remove every risk, but it turns surprises into small adjustments instead of big problems. We follow construction news from Nepal and around the world every day so you can make these decisions with up-to-date information. If you are not sure how a story affects your own project, talk to a registered engineer in your municipality before you change your plans.
FAQ
Why is BP Highway reconstruction taking so long?
The 2024 floods damaged 30.5 km of the Bhakundebesi–Nepalthok section. Work is spread over four contract packages and new bridges have not yet been contracted.
When will the BP Highway be blacktopped?
The Bhaktapur Division Road Office chief said it would be blacktopped before next year’s Dashain.
How busy is the road?
During the post-Dashain rush, traffic topped 10,000 vehicles a day, about double the normal 4,000 to 5,000.