Key Takeaways:
- Bridge built at Khuniyadhar over Haripur Branch Canal
- Cost: Rs 7.275 million, funded by Koshi Province
- Route upgrade urged by locals for health, education, and services
- Tourism potential: Easier access for Indian and religious visitors
The completion of a concrete bridge at Khuniyadhar has raised expectations among locals that the postal highway connecting Biratnagar with Barahakshetra can now be widened and upgraded to improve direct road access to the eastern hills.
Residents have urged the Koshi Province government to finish the remaining construction work, saying the route could provide a shorter connection from the provincial capital to Barahakshetra and the hill districts of Udayapur, Bhojpur, and Khotang.
Rakesh Guragain, a youth from Bakulachap in Barahakshetra‑10, said the route should be developed as a strategic road. "After the concrete bridge was built at Khuniyadhar, there are no major problems along the route. Now it only needs to be widened and upgraded," he said.
The postal highway runs from Biratnagar through Bargachhi, Kesaliya Khola, Barju, Harinagara, Bhutaha, Phulchowk, Shivaganj, Khuniyadhar, Radhakrishna Temple, and Shantichowk before reaching Rajabas.
The Infrastructure Development Office under the provincial Ministry of Physical Infrastructure constructed the bridge at a cost of Rs 7.275 million. Locals believe the bridge will help complete the north‑south section of the postal highway, improving access to health, education, and administrative services in Biratnagar.
They also say the route could connect Barahakshetra more easily with India's Bihar region, boosting religious tourism and local economic activity.