Besisahar-Chame Road Closed Today: Annapurna Circuit Access Update
Updated Saturday 12 September 2026 (afternoon, NPT): The Besisahar-Chame road, the only motorable link between Lamjung and the Manang side of the Annapurna Circuit, is fully closed to all vehicles today between 09:00 and 17:00 while a roughly 50-metre stretch of road is concreted at Dharapani in Naso Rural Municipality-3, Manang. The closure, confirmed by Manang Chief District Officer Muktiprasad Khanal, covers every vehicle class with no exception for tourist jeeps. From 17:00 this evening until 10:00 on Sunday morning, light vehicles may move again but heavy vehicles remain prohibited.
The timing matters for trekkers: late September is the ramp-up to Nepal’s main autumn trekking season, and the Besisahar-Chame road is the approach most Annapurna Circuit itineraries use to skip the first days of walking. Here is what is confirmed, how it differs from the earlier heavy vehicle protest on this same road, and what to do if you are heading toward Manang this weekend.
What Is Confirmed Right Now
According to a report by Online Khabar’s Lamjung bureau published on Saturday morning (12 September 2026, 10:04 NPT, Nepali language), and matching reports carried the same day by The Rising Nepal, Ratopati and Khabarhub, the following facts are confirmed:
- Full daytime closure: From 09:00 this morning until 17:00 this evening, no vehicles of any kind may operate on the affected section. Manang CDO Muktiprasad Khanal confirmed the order.
- Location and cause: The closure is centred on Dharapani in Naso Rural Municipality-3, where the 135 MW Manang Marsyangdi hydropower project is concreting (locally referred to as phaltan) about 50 metres of road.
- Why no detour is possible: The road at this point is narrow with houses standing on both sides, so no alternative passage can be arranged for vehicles while the concrete work is underway. That is why the closure had to be total rather than one-lane.
- Evening and overnight restriction: From 17:00 this evening until 10:00 on Sunday morning, heavy vehicles are prohibited. Light vehicles are expected to be able to move again from 17:00 onward.
- Who ordered it: The closure was announced through the district administration, with the Manang CDO as the confirming authority.
Closure Schedule at a Glance
| Window | Applies to | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday 12 September, 09:00-17:00 | All vehicles, including tourist jeeps | CONFIRMED CLOSED |
| Saturday 12 September, 17:00 to Sunday 13 September, 10:00 | Heavy vehicles only | CONFIRMED BANNED |
| Saturday 12 September, after 17:00 | Light vehicles and jeeps | Expected to pass (per the closure notice) |
| Sunday 13 September, after 10:00 | All vehicles | Expected to normalise (unconfirmed until it happens) |
Treat the Sunday-morning resumption as expected rather than guaranteed: concrete works on Himalayan roads sometimes overrun, and the district administration has previously extended closures when weather or curing conditions demanded it. Confirm with your transport operator before committing to a tight schedule.
Why a 50-Metre Job Shuts the Whole Road
Dharapani sits deep in the Marsyangdi river valley, where the road is cut into a narrow shelf of land between the river and the village houses. Unlike wider highway sections elsewhere in Nepal, there is no second lane to divert traffic into while one strip is worked on. When a project needs to pour a continuous concrete slab across roughly 50 metres of that shelf, the only safe option is to stop vehicle movement completely for the working day.
The concreting is being carried out by the 135 MW Manang Marsyangdi hydropower project, one of several hydropower schemes on the Marsyangdi corridor whose construction traffic has been a recurring source of friction on this road. During the monsoon, residents of Manang have repeatedly complained that heavy project trucks damage the single track that links their district to the lowlands.
What This Means for Annapurna Circuit Trekkers
The Annapurna Circuit is one of the world’s classic long-distance treks. According to the standard reference description, the route runs between roughly 160 and 230 kilometres depending on how much of it is walked rather than driven, crosses two river valleys around the Annapurna massif, and reaches its highest point at Thorung La, 5,416 metres. Most trekkers start at Besisahar or Bhulbhule in the Marsyangdi valley, which is about a seven-hour drive from Kathmandu.
Because a vehicle road now runs up the Marsyangdi valley as far as Manang and beyond, most modern itineraries drive the first section to Chame or even further before starting to walk, and the road has shortened the traditional full circuit. That convenience is exactly what today’s closure interrupts: the Dharapani section sits on the stretch between Tal and Chame that nearly every vehicle-assisted Annapurna Circuit itinerary passes over.
Dharapani is also the junction where trekkers finishing the Manaslu Circuit over Larke Pass descend into the Marsyangdi valley and join the Annapurna Circuit trail. If your Manaslu itinerary ends with a jeep ride from Dharapani down to Besisahar on Saturday, that exit is blocked until at least 17:00 this evening.
Scenarios for the next 48 hours
- You are in Kathmandu or Pokhara planning to start the Circuit today: Your drive to Besisahar is unaffected, but no vehicle can continue beyond the closure point until evening. Either start walking from Besisahar or Bhulbhule as older itineraries did, or plan to overnight in the lower valley and drive up after 17:00.
- You are already in Chame or Manang and heading down: Jeeps cannot pass the Dharapani section during the day. Ask your lodge or the local police checkpost for the current status before setting out, and expect the evening window to be busy.
- You are on a Manaslu Circuit exit through Dharapani: Same constraint. Budget an extra night in Dharapani or Tal if you cannot make the 17:00 window.
- You are walking, not driving: The closure order as reported applies to vehicles. If you are on foot, expect construction activity, fresh concrete and machinery on the Dharapani stretch, and check locally before passing the works.
- You have booked a fixed-date tour or expedition: Heavy vehicles, including gear and supply trucks, cannot use the road at all until 10:00 Sunday morning. If your operator planned a Saturday vehicle transfer above Besisahar, it will need to shift to the evening light-vehicle window or to Sunday.
How This Differs From the 7 September Heavy Vehicle Ban
This is the second disruption on the Besisahar-Chame road inside a week, but the two events are different in kind. On 6 and 7 September, residents of Marsyangdi Rural Municipality, supported by provincial parliament members, physically blocked heavy vehicles from the road in protest at monsoon-season damage, while explicitly stating that tourist jeeps and passenger vehicles were not the target.
| Feature | 7 September action | 12 September closure |
|---|---|---|
| Who initiated it | Local residents and provincial MPs (protest) | District administration with the project (scheduled works) |
| Vehicle scope | Heavy trucks only; tourist jeeps spared | All vehicles, including tourist jeeps, during the day |
| Duration | Open-ended monsoon protest | Fixed: 09:00-17:00, then heavy vehicles until Sunday 10:00 |
| Stated reason | Road damage by project trucks in the rain | 50-metre concreting by the 135 MW project at Dharapani |
| Nature | Adversarial | Cooperative and planned |
The two events share a root cause: a single narrow road carrying trekking traffic, local life and hydropower construction traffic at the same time, in monsoon conditions. Until the road is widened or the project construction phase ends, frictions of this kind are likely to recur on this corridor.
The Bigger Picture: Road Works Keep Reshaping the Circuit
The Annapurna Circuit that guidebooks described two decades ago and the circuit walked today are not the same route. As the reference descriptions of the trek note, continuing road construction has shortened the trail, the Beisahar-Manang road shares much of its length with the old walking trail, and the changes have altered the villages along it. Each new concrete slab, bridge and upgrade makes vehicle-assisted itineraries easier and pushes the pure walking experience higher up the valley.
For travellers, the practical consequence is that the Annapurna region is now a mixed road-and-trail destination where transport status is part of trip planning. The complete guide to Annapurna region treks covers the main route options, and current access news like today’s closure is worth checking in the days before you travel. Permits are the other fixed requirement: the circuit crosses the Annapurna Conservation Area, so TIMS and ACAP fees and rules for 2026 apply to every itinerary.
Travellers weighing whether to drive or walk the early stages may also want to read our trekking safety and health guide, which explains the acclimatisation logic behind the standard advice to gain altitude slowly on the way to Thorung La.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Besisahar-Chame road closed today?
Yes. As of Saturday 12 September 2026, the road is fully closed to all vehicles between 09:00 and 17:00 for concreting at Dharapani. After 17:00, light vehicles may move; heavy vehicles are banned until 10:00 Sunday morning.
Can tourist jeeps pass the closed section?
Not during the day. The 09:00-17:00 closure covers every vehicle class, including the tourist jeeps that normally run between Besisahar, Chame and Manang. Jeeps are expected to operate again from 17:00 this evening.
Does the closure affect people walking the Annapurna Circuit?
The reported order restricts vehicles, not pedestrians. Trekkers on foot should still expect machinery and fresh concrete on the Dharapani stretch and should check the local status with lodges or the police checkpost before passing the works.
I am finishing the Manaslu Circuit at Dharapani. Am I affected?
Possibly. Dharapani is where the Manaslu Circuit trail joins the Annapurna Circuit. If you planned to take a jeep out of Dharapani on Saturday, that transfer cannot run until after 17:00, and heavy vehicle traffic resumes only from 10:00 Sunday.
When will the road be fully back to normal?
The schedule says light vehicles from 17:00 Saturday and all vehicles from 10:00 Sunday. Treat the Sunday resumption as expected rather than confirmed until it actually happens, and confirm with your operator on the day.
Key Takeaways
- The Besisahar-Chame road is fully closed to all vehicles on Saturday 12 September, 09:00-17:00, for a 50-metre concreting job at Dharapani by the 135 MW Manang Marsyangdi hydropower project.
- Heavy vehicles are banned until 10:00 Sunday morning; light vehicles are expected to move from 17:00 Saturday evening.
- Tourist jeeps are covered by the daytime closure, unlike the 7 September resident protest which spared them.
- Annapurna Circuit and Manaslu Circuit itineraries that rely on vehicles past Dharapani this weekend should add buffer time or shift transfers to the evening or Sunday.
- Confirm the reopening locally before committing to a tight schedule.
Sources
- Online Khabar, Lamjung bureau, 12 September 2026, 10:04 NPT (Nepali language): Besisahar-Chame road to be closed all day today, www.onlinekhabar.com/2026/09/2015598
- The Rising Nepal, 12 September 2026: Besisahar-Chame road to remain closed during day today.
- Ratopati (English edition), 12 September 2026: Besishahar-Chame Road Section in Dharapani Closed for Concrete Slabbing.
- Khabarhub and Hamro Patro, 12 September 2026: matching closure reports.
- Wikipedia, Annapurna Circuit, for route background (length, Thorung La altitude, road impact on the trail), accessed 12 September 2026.
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