JICA completes restoration of BP Highway damaged by quake

KATHMANDU, Dec 10: Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has completed restoration of the BP Highway, popularly known as Sindhuli road, which was damaged by the earthquake of April 25 and a major aftershock on May 12.

The series of tremors in April and May had damaged 29 sections of this road, particularly the sections between Sindhuli Bazaar and Khurkot and Khurkot and Nepalthok, according to a JICA statement issued on Thursday.The rehabilitation work started on June 16 and was completed by November 27 at a cost of Rs 60 million, read the statement.

Out of the total 29 damaged sites, JICA undertook the recovery of the 12 most severely damaged sites. Nippon Koei Company Limited assisted the Department of Roads and the Sindhuli Road Construction Project to identify the damaged sites and recommend necessary measures for its recovery.

With the completion of the reconstruction work, the Sindhuli road is now fully operational. The construction was supervised by Japanese Experts from Nippon Koei and carried out by the Nepalese contractor Swachhanda Nirman Sewa Private Limited.

Around 160 km long Sindhuli road links Kathmandu with Tarai. JICA started the work for building the road in 1996 and handed it over to the Department of Road after its completion in March, this year.

Related story

JICA completes construction of only one out of 58 schools