Key Takeaways:

• Excavators opening new track seven metres above collapsed road section
• Planned track: 350m long, 7m wide, cut into hillside slope
• 200m of existing road subsided after Trishuli River swept away structures
• Government aims to restore Kathmandu connectivity within September

KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 4 Work to open a new track along the hillside above Krishnabhir on the Prithvi Highway began Friday morning, as authorities stepped up efforts to restore road connectivity with Kathmandu. The effort follows two days of clearing trees, bamboo and bushes, and dismantling gabion structures. Excavators are now working from both sides, while crews clear the upper slope. Engineer Ishwar Nepal, site manager of Sharma JV, said the new track will be opened about seven metres from the edge of the existing road and is expected to be completed within seven to 10 days. According to Sachendra Mishra, engineer with the western section of the Naubise–Muglin Road Project, the track is being cut into the first hill, which rises about nine metres above the road. The proposed track will be 350 metres long and seven metres wide. A nearly 200-metre section of the existing road subsided and cracked after the Trishuli River swept away strong structures at the slope base. The road, previously around 10 metres wide, became impassable on August 30, severing Kathmandu's connectivity. The government has directed agencies to restore the route at the earliest, with reopening targeted within September. Transport along the section had been relatively smooth since repairs in 2003. Engineers note the hillside has hard rock on both sides, but a 60–70 metre stretch in the middle remains weak. The same section had subsided last year and was under repair when the latest damage occurred.