KALIKOT, May 13: The Dailekh District Administration Office has decided to completely close the Sisne-Saigaun road section—part of the Karnali Highway—to vehicular movement for eight hours daily due to ongoing construction work.
The closure will disrupt travel for people from Achham, Kalikot, Jumla, Mugu, Humla, and Bajura, who depend on this route.
According to the administration, the road will remain closed from 8 AM to 12 PM and again from 2 PM to 6 PM each day.
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The Dailekh District Administration halted vehicular movement along the Sisne-Saigaun road section to facilitate infrastructure construction and maintenance work under a contract awarded by the Road Division Office, Surkhet.
The administration clarified that it had to close the highway during specific hours to ensure smooth progress of the construction. Anticipating travel disruptions, the administration urged passengers and vehicle operators to use the Ramghat-Saigaun section via the Mid-Hill Highway as an alternative route.
The administration announced that it will enforce this arrangement until construction work is completed and apologized to travelers for the inconvenience. It advised travelers to plan their journeys according to the specified timings and public notices.
Locals claimed that the administration favored the contractor by allowing daytime road closures, even though the Karnali Highway typically remains closed at night. They argued that the administration should have instructed the contractor to work at night to minimize public inconvenience.
The highway closure has severely inconvenienced tourists visiting Rara. Locals have demanded that the government upgrade the Karnali Highway into a two-lane road. Transport operators noted that taking the longer route via the Mid-Hill Highway raises vehicle fares.
Although the Dungeshwar-Paltada section of the Karnali Highway turns muddy during rain and dusty in dry weather, the Road Division Office has ignored the need to upgrade this stretch.
