BP Highway slated for completion by 2015
KATHMANDU, NOV 13 -
The BP Highway is expected to be completed by March 2015, a good 20 years after construction started. The Japanese International Cooperation Agency (Jica), which has financed the project, said on Wednesday that the road connecting Dhulikhel with Bardibas would officially come into operation in May next year. The construction of the 158-km Banepa-Sindhuli-Bardibas Highway began in 1996.
Visiting Jica Vice-President Toshiyuki Kuroyanagi said that the highway would be a model road on tough land structure and mountainous country like Nepal. “The road is anticipated to be not just a new road but also a road corridor that will accelerate the socio-economic development and connect people to people in the area,” said Kuroyanagi.
According to Jica, it has been working on building the 32-km Khurkot-Nepalthok section of the highway. The Bardibas-Sindhuli Bazaar, Sidhuli Bazaar-Khurkot and Nepalthok-Dhulikhel segments have been completed. Jica said that the highway had been designed to be completed at low cost and in a way making it environment friendly and easy to carry out maintenance.
Japan, which has assured funding to construct a tunnel road on the Nagdhunga-Naubise section of Tribhuvan Highway if it is found to be feasible, is currently engaged in designing the project. Kuroyanagi said Jica was also positive about constructing a Nagdhunga tunnel road. Likewise, Jica will be improving the Suryabinayak-Dhulikhel road segment.
Besides constructing the highway, Jica has provided funds to construct 32 community bridges and 11 rural roads in five districts—Sindhuli, Mahottari, Ramechhap, Kavrepalanchok and Sindhupalchok. According to the Japanese aid agency, it has been constructing infrastructure under the Community Access Improvement Project that is expected to be completed by December 2015.
Apart from these projects, Jica has also planned to help improve the urban transport system in the Kathmandu valley. Keutaro Suekane of Jica said they had been developing a comprehensive master plan for the next five to 15 years. Jica has been supporting Nepal through 18 projects that are being implemented in three different areas Since January 2012, the Japanese aid agency has been providing technical support for disaster management to protect roads from landslides to ensure safety along the roadside.
Source: The Kathmandu Post
