Japan-Assisted Reconstruction Begins on Nepal’s Key BP Highway

Reconstruction has begun on a damaged section of Nepal’s strategically important BP Highway with financial and technical assistance from Japan, months after devastating floods and landslides severely damaged the route linking eastern Nepal with the capital Kathmandu.

The foundation stone for the reconstruction of the Piple–Barkhekhola section in Kavrepalanchok district was jointly laid by Japanese Ambassador to Nepal Maeda Toru and Nepal’s Infrastructure Ministry Secretary Gopal Prasad Sigdel on Tuesday.

The BP Highway, officially known as the Banepa-Bardibas Highway, is a major trade and transport corridor connecting Kathmandu with Nepal’s eastern plains. The road suffered extensive damage during severe floods and landslides in October 2024, disrupting transport and economic activities for months.

According to the Road Division Office in Bhaktapur, reconstruction of the 3.2-kilometre road section is being carried out with financial and technical support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

Senior Divisional Engineer Suman Yogesh said nearly 30 kilometres of the highway across Kavrepalanchok and Sindhuli districts require repair and reconstruction due to flood-related damage.

The reconstruction of the Piple–Barkhekhola stretch has been awarded to Japan-based Shimizu Corporation under a bilateral agreement signed between Nepal and Japan in November 2025. Japan has pledged grant assistance worth 2.8 billion Japanese yen for the project.

Officials said the broader reconstruction project includes widening several damaged sections into two-lane roads and upgrading bridges to improve climate resilience and reduce future disaster risks.

Originally built with Japanese grant assistance, the 160-kilometre BP Highway connecting Dhulikhel, Sindhuli and Bardibas was formally handed over to Nepal by Japan in 2015.