Thousands of people returning to Kathmandu after Dashain holidays are facing dusty roads and long traffic jams on the BP Highway, where sections damaged by floods two years ago remain unfinished.

The worst stretch runs from Bhakundebesi to Nepalthok, where floods in 2024 damaged 30.5 kilometres of road. Travellers say dust has severely reduced visibility, while temporary diversions and narrow bridges are adding to delays.

Sanjay Shrestha, who drives a Tata Sumo between Diktel and Kathmandu, said dust sometimes made it difficult to see the road ahead. “The road is still unfinished, and the dust makes driving extremely difficult,” Shrestha said. “Even if the road cannot be completed immediately, regularly spraying water would make driving much easier.” The dust also increases the risk of accidents, he added.

At several points, vehicles are routed through riverbeds where floods washed away sections of the highway. The diversions generate heavy dust, while narrow, single-lane bridges force vehicles to wait for oncoming traffic.

The highway is being widened to two lanes, but the bridges remain single-lane. Despite the resulting bottlenecks, there are no immediate plans to award contracts for their reconstruction.

Traffic is particularly heavy on the stretch from Kavre towards Bhaktapur. Suman Yogesh, chief of the Bhaktapur Division Road Office, said contractors had been instructed to spray water more frequently, but dust remained a problem.

“We spray water early in the morning, and we have asked contractors to do so twice more during the day,” Yogesh said. He added that water was being sprayed regularly in market areas and settlements.

Overtaking and driving in the wrong lane were also contributing to congestion, he said.

The BP Highway normally carries 4,000 to 5,000 vehicles a day, but traffic has now exceeded 10,000, according to Yogesh. He said the road would be blacktopped before next year’s Dashain, easing the difficulties faced by travellers.

Construction is underway under four contract packages, three on the Kavre side and one on the Sindhuli side, he said.

Nagdhunga restrictions ease congestion

Traffic has also increased on the Nagdhunga-Muglin road, but congestion has remained manageable, according to traffic police.

The Nagdhunga uphill section, normally a major bottleneck, has been closed to traffic after the road subsided. The Nagdhunga Tunnel has been opened to vehicles, helping ease congestion.

The route normally carries around 15,000 vehicles a day, with traffic tripling during Dashain, according to traffic police.

Naresh Raj Subedi, information officer at the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office, said the number of people entering the valley was continuing to rise. “Traffic jams have occurred because drivers are crossing lane markings at many places,” Subedi said. Traffic police have been deployed at several points to enforce lane discipline, he added.

Authorities have also been monitoring traffic through CCTV cameras. Subedi said vehicle inspections and stricter enforcement had helped reduce major accidents during the festive period.

Vehicles were required to undergo mechanical inspections, including checks of tyres, engines, brakes and emissions. Authorities also stepped up enforcement against overloading and required two drivers on long-distance services.

Drivers and their assistants were tested for alcohol and drug use at departure points, Subedi said.

Traffic police recorded 141,332 passengers entering Kathmandu between Wednesday, the day of Dashain tika, and Sunday.