5th October 2025, Kathmandu
The crucial Prithvi Highway, which serves as a vital lifeline connecting the capital Kathmandu to the popular city of Pokhara, is once again facing significant disruption and an alarming vulnerability due to a road collapse in the Tanahun district.
Road Collapse at Prithvi Highway
This recurring infrastructure failure, specifically at Aanbukhaireni Rural Municipality-4, has prompted the implementation of stringent one-way traffic control, highlighting the persistent challenges faced by Nepal’s key road networks, particularly during periods of intense monsoonal activity.
The incident was reported to have occurred late on Saturday afternoon, around 4 p.m., as confirmed by Police Inspector Tek Prasad Subedi of the Aanbukhaireni Area Police Office. The immediate cause of the collapse has been attributed to the continuous, sustained rainfall that has been affecting the region. This saturation of the ground and the subsequent erosion of the sub-base material critically compromised the structural integrity of the highway section, leading to its collapse. This situation serves as a stark reminder of the geological and meteorological risks inherent in maintaining infrastructure in Nepal’s challenging terrain, which is currently under the heavy influence of the monsoon.
Operational and Safety Protocols
In response to the emergency, the local police authority has swiftly deployed personnel to manage the critical situation. Police officers are stationed on both ends of the damaged section to meticulously regulate vehicle movement, ensuring that traffic can only proceed in a one-way, controlled fashion. This measure is essential for preventing further accidents and for managing the flow of vehicles through the now-narrowed and unstable carriageway.
The primary focus is on safety, and Inspector Subedi has issued a strong public advisory specifically directed at motorists. He has urgently requested that drivers avoid nighttime travel along this particular route. The reasoning behind this is two-fold: the already compromised nature of the road surface, combined with the inherently poor visibility that characterizes mountain highways after dark, creates a significantly increased risk of accidents. Furthermore, the saturated soil conditions mean that the road remains unstable, with the potential for further slumping or collapse during the night, especially if rainfall continues or recurs.
The Recurring Nature of the Structural Failure
What elevates this incident from a routine road hazard to a systemic concern is the fact that this is a recurring problem at the exact same location. Authorities have confirmed that this section of the Prithvi Highway had previously caved in approximately three years ago. Following that major incident, significant engineering efforts were undertaken to mitigate the risk. These efforts included cutting into the adjacent hillside to create more space and, crucially, constructing a substantial retaining wall along the Marsyangdi River side of the road.
The fact that the road has failed again, precisely where these expensive and time-consuming countermeasures were put in place, underscores the immense geo-technical difficulties of building and maintaining infrastructure in river-flanked mountainous zones. The river’s erosive power, combined with the heavy pressure from continuous rainfall and the geological instability of the soil, has once again overwhelmed the engineered solutions. This recurrence highlights the need for more robust, perhaps innovative, long-term engineering solutions to manage the instability of the hillside and the riverbank erosion at this specific, highly vulnerable stretch of the highway.
Traffic Advisory and Expected Disruptions
The Prithvi Highway’s status as the key terrestrial link between Nepal’s two largest and most significant economic and cultural hubs—Kathmandu and Pokhara—means that any disruption has wide-ranging national implications.
Currently, the highway remains partially open due to the one-way system. However, the operational constraint means that all travelers must expect significant delays. Queues of vehicles waiting for their turn to pass the controlled section are inevitable and could stretch for considerable distances, especially during peak travel hours and following the resumption of traffic after any temporary full closures for emergency work.
Authorities have indicated that repair works are being initiated, which will likely involve further short-term closures or intermittent stoppages to allow for the deployment of heavy machinery and the assessment of the full extent of the damage. Therefore, travelers planning to use this route are strongly advised to:
Anticipate Delays: Allocate substantial extra time for the journey.
Monitor Official Updates: Continuously check official bulletins from the Department of Roads and the Nepal Police Traffic Directorate for the latest traffic status, alternative routes, and any new restrictions.
Consider Diversions: Be prepared for possible, sudden diversions onto alternative, often less-maintained, regional road networks to bypass the critical Aanbukhaireni section.
The collapse not only affects daily commuters but also impacts the movement of goods, adding to transportation costs and supply chain delays, and reiterates the critical need for constant maintenance and disaster-resilient design on Nepal’s national highways.
For More: Road Collapse on Prithvi Highway