Traffic has increased on roads linking Hetauda with Kathmandu after flooding along the Trishuli river blocked the Prithvi Highway at Krishnabhir in Dhading, forcing vehicles to use separate routes for travel in and out of the Capital.

Under a traffic plan issued by the local administration, vehicles carrying fewer than 14 passengers heading from Hetauda to Kathmandu will travel via Bhimphendi, Kulekhani, Sisneri and Dakshinkali. Vehicles travelling from Kathmandu to Hetauda will use the Pharping, Phakhel, Kulekhani and Bhimphendi route.

For freight trucks and larger passenger vehicles, the administration has instructed operators to use the Tribhuvan Highway when travelling towards Kathmandu and the Kanti Lokpath when returning to Hetauda, according to Makwanpur Chief District Officer Basanta Adhikari.

The traffic volume on the routes through Hetauda has risen sharply since the Prithvi Highway was blocked at Krishnabhir, Adhikari said.

The administration has also asked fuel tankers and heavy freight vehicles to avoid a Bailey bridge near the Tribhuvan Highway in Makwanpur because of concerns over its load-bearing capacity. Such vehicles have been directed to use an adjacent diversion instead.

Officials said the new traffic arrangement is intended to reduce congestion and prolonged stoppages on the alternative routes. Drivers, transport operators and passengers have been asked to follow the designated routes to keep traffic moving safely and efficiently.

The shorter alternative route between Hetauda and Kathmandu, which previously took about three hours, now takes nearly five hours because of increased traffic, officials said.