Two-way traffic resumes along Krishnabhir section of Prithvi Highway

Chitwan, Sept 17: Two-way traffic has resumed along the Krishnabhir section of the Prithvi Highway from Thursday morning, 18 days after floods damaged and washed away a major stretch of the road.

The Trishuli River eroded the foundation of the highway following the floods on August 30, causing around 100 metres of the road to collapse and bringing traffic to a complete halt.

To restore vehicular movement, authorities opened an alternative track by cutting through a nearby mound. Construction of the track began on September 3.

According to Dhiraj Dhakal, an engineer with the Nagdhunga–Muglin Road Project, West Section, all works on the alternative route were completed by Wednesday evening. The road was subsequently opened for traffic.

Vehicles that had been stranded along the highway for the past two days were allowed to pass from Wednesday evening, while regular two-way traffic resumed from Thursday morning.

With the Krishnabhir section now operational, vehicles that had faced restrictions at Tuinkhola along the Narayangadh–Muglin road section have also been allowed to proceed.

The prolonged disruption at Krishnabhir had affected the movement of heavy vehicles to and from Kathmandu, contributing to a shortage of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in the capital.

Around 14,000 vehicles use the Prithvi Highway every day.

The Ministry of Infrastructure Development had mobilised workers, heavy equipment and other resources to construct the alternative track and restore traffic along the strategic highway.