KATHMANDU: Continuous river erosion triggered by flooding has caused road cave-ins at three locations along the Naubise-Malekhu section of the Prithvi Highway, officials said.
According to Sachendra Mishra, information officer for the Nagdhunga-Muglin Road Project (West Section), the severe damage occurred at Krishna Bhir, located 23 kilometers from Muglin toward Kathmandu. Around 200 meters of the road collapsed after floodwaters washed away the retaining wall along the Trishuli River, cracking the adjoining hill slope. Officials stated that immediate repairs at Krishna Bhir are not possible.
At Sital Bazar, around three kilometers from Malekhu toward Muglin, approximately 50 meters of the road caved in. Another 100-meter section caved in at Parewa Bhir, one kilometer from the Malekhu bridge toward Kathmandu. Non-essential vehicles have been stopped at Parewa Bhir due to safety risks.
Senior Divisional Engineer Sajana Adhikari said the Trishuli River shifted its course this year, concentrating erosion along the base of the highway. Project teams are attempting to cut into the hill slopes at Sital Bazar and Parewa Bhir to resume traffic, while feasibility studies have begun to open an alternative route via Gorkha. Around 14,000 vehicles travel on this highway daily.
