MYAGDI: The reconstruction of the flood- and landslide-damaged Beni–Darbang–Muna road in Myagdi is estimated to cost around Rs 70 million.
The road, which connects Mangala, Malika and Dhaulagiri rural municipalities in western Myagdi with the district headquarters, Beni, suffered extensive damage from floods, landslides and erosion along the Myagdi River following continuous rainfall from September 23 to 27.
According to the Infrastructure Development Office in Myagdi, around 22 locations along the road from Beni to Muna, the administrative centre of Dhaulagiri Rural Municipality, have been damaged.
Engineer Mohan Ruwali of the office said the disasters had washed away road surfaces and severely damaged gabion walls, retaining walls and paved sections.
Fifteen locations between Beni and Panabagar in Mangala Rural Municipality-2 were damaged by landslides of varying sizes, while river erosion caused road collapses at two locations. The preliminary estimate for repairing road infrastructure along this section alone stands at Rs 30 million to Rs 40 million.
At Balute in Malika Rural Municipality-6, erosion by the Myagdi River has washed away around 100 metres of the blacktopped road, leaving the section severely damaged.
Four landslide sites between Panabagar and Darbang have also affected the road, disrupting direct transport services between Beni and Muna.
Following extensive damage between Balute and Tolabang, vehicles have been diverted from the Dukhukhola Bridge, located on the boundary of Mangala and Malika rural municipalities, through Dukhubensi to Tolabang.
Senior Divisional Engineer Rajesh Ulek of the Infrastructure Development Office said nearly 100 metres of road at Balute had collapsed due to river erosion, making regular vehicular movement difficult.
He said the damaged section was also unsafe for pedestrians and would require a permanent retaining wall along the riverbank to restore reliable access.
Ulek said reconstruction of the Beni–Panabagar section was estimated to cost Rs 46.25 million, while repairs to the Balute section of the Panabagar–Darbang road were projected to cost Rs 22.74 million.
The provincial government has allocated Rs 2.5 million for reconstruction at Balute, and work is scheduled to begin after the Dashain festival, he added.
The office said traffic was currently operating on a one-way basis from Beni to the Dukhukhola Bridge, with vehicles using an alternative route to reach Tolabang, Darbang and Muna after landslide debris was cleared.
Of the 24-kilometre road from Beni to Darbang, 16.4 kilometres is blacktopped. Meanwhile, the 18-kilometre Darbang–Muna section along the Dharapani–Jhindada route remains under construction, with only six kilometres yet to be completed.
The Beni–Darbang–Muna–Jaljala–Dhorpatan road is an important transport corridor for residents of western Myagdi and is considered an alternative to the Baglung section of the Mid-Hill Highway.
During the previous winter, a road linking Muna to Dhorpatan Valley via Khoriya, Mareni, Jaljala and Gurjaghat was opened, extending road connectivity towards the valley.