The Prithvi Highway winding along the Trishuli river gorge at Kotre, Dhading district, Nepal
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Krishnabhir Fix: Tunnels or Bridges on Prithvi Highway?

Byanish maharjan

Route alert: Update 10 September 2026: the Tribhuvan Highway, listed below as an operating alternative for Kathmandu-bound traffic, is now blocked at Salyangkhola, Dhading. Details in Tribhuvan Highway Blocked After Salyangkhola Landslide.

Related guide: road closures and monsoon detours are a safety issue for every Nepal trip. See Nepal Trekking Safety and Health: The Complete Guide.

Direct answer, 9 September 2026: The Department of Roads has confirmed it is studying two permanent fixes for the collapsed Krishnabhir section of the Prithvi Highway: a pair of tunnels about 500 metres long each, or two permanent bridges that would carry the highway across the Trishuli River and back to its original bank. Director General Bijaya Jaisi says the department will decide within a week whether vehicles can operate through Krishnabhir at all, with Dashain travel less than a month away. The roughly 300-metre section where about 70 metres of road collapsed into the Trishuli on 30 August remains completely closed while crews cut a temporary track above the landslide (Kathmandu Post, 8 and 9 September 2026).

For travellers, the message is twofold. First, a permanent engineering solution is finally on the table after years of patchwork repairs at one of Nepal’s most notoriously unstable road sections. Second, nothing will be built this season: the tunnels and bridges are at study stage, and the immediate priority remains reopening a temporary track, with detours through Galchhi, Fishling and the Kanti Rajpath carrying Kathmandu-bound traffic in the meantime. Here is what is confirmed, what the experts are warning, and what it means for your travel plans.

Table of contents

The Prithvi Highway winding along the Trishuli river gorge at Kotre, Dhading district, Nepal
The Prithvi Highway at Kotre, Dhading district, near the affected corridor. Photo by Anup Sadi via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. The image shows the highway corridor, not the collapse site itself.

What is happening at Krishnabhir right now

Krishnabhir, on the Prithvi Highway’s Naubise-Malekhu stretch in Dhading district, has been closed since 30 August 2026. A catastrophic flood that entered the Bhotekoshi River from the Tibetan side on 26 August travelled downstream through the Trishuli, and the resulting erosion destabilised the road bench at Krishnabhir. About 70 metres of highway collapsed into the river, another 120 metres developed severe cracks, and traffic has been completely halted along a section of roughly 300 metres (Kathmandu Post, 8 September 2026).

The consequences rippled immediately through the national economy and the tourist transport network. The Prithvi Highway is the main road between Kathmandu and the rest of the country, so cargo and passenger vehicles have been forced onto unsuitable alternative routes, making it harder to move daily essentials into the capital. Pokhara’s tourist bus fleet sat idle while airlines added flights, a shift TravellingNepal covered in detail in our Pokhara tourist bus report and our earlier Krishnabhir collapse coverage.

Right now, Department of Roads crews are widening a small track above the collapsed section that was previously wide enough only for excavators. The department’s first priority, in Director General Jaisi’s words, is to make the existing Krishnabhir section operational, and work is underway for that. However, new cracks have appeared on the hillside about 50 metres above the working area, which officials say is more than they had expected.

The two permanent options: tunnels or bridges

Speaking to Kantipur on 9 September, Jaisi laid out the two permanent alternatives now under study:

  • Option A, twin tunnels: two tunnels, each about 500 metres long, drilled through stable ground to bypass the landslide-prone section entirely.
  • Option B, twin bridges: two permanent bridges. The first would take the road across the Trishuli River, and the second, farther downstream, would bring it back to the original side of the river and reconnect with the existing highway.

“We are studying which option, tunnels or bridges, would be cheaper,” Jaisi told the paper. “Only after that study will we know more.”

Option What it involves Status
Reopen existing section Cut and widen a temporary track above the landslide, strengthen with gabion structures and slope works First priority, underway now; decision on vehicle operation within a week
Two tunnels (about 500 m each) Bypass the unstable section underground Under study; cheaper option being assessed
Two permanent bridges Cross the Trishuli, run the road on the far bank, then bridge back downstream Under study; monsoon construction is difficult, experts caution
Improve opposite-bank road Upgrade existing provincial and local roads on the far bank as a permanent detour Would require a Cabinet decision

Be clear about what is confirmed and what is not. Confirmed: the department is actively studying both options and has publicly stated them, and the Ministry of Infrastructure Development has approved immediate measures such as building structures above the existing gabion breast wall, installing sacrificial gabion boxes and dropping boulders from the hillside. Not confirmed: any budget, timeline, or decision on construction. No start date exists for either the tunnels or the bridges, and officials have said an opposite-bank road would need Cabinet approval. Treat the permanent fix as a direction of travel, not a scheduled project.

What engineers and geologists are warning

A day before the department’s announcement, the Kathmandu Post published assessments from senior engineers and geologists who inspected or studied the site. Their message: the temporary track is a necessity, not a solution, and slope treatment must start immediately.

Keshav Sharma, a former secretary at the Ministry of Infrastructure Development, said steel bars could be driven into the slope from above and below to stabilise the hill section, and that piling must be done immediately. “Technology must be used immediately to make the newly opened section reliable,” he said. His own ranking: stabilise first, consider a tunnel from inside second, and build a bridge across the Trishuli connecting to the Gorkha side as the long-term option.

Arjun Jung Thapa, a former secretary and National Planning Commission member who inspected Krishnabhir, noted that Chinese experts had also observed the site. He cautioned that bridge construction during the monsoon is unrealistic because a strong pier with a solid foundation would have to be built in the middle of the Trishuli while the river runs high. Still, he urged the government to begin planning immediately, writing that the government and Nepali contractors are technically and financially capable of building “a short tunnel or two 150-metre bridges.”

Ranjan Kumar Dahal, a geology professor at Tribhuvan University who has studied the Krishnabhir landslide, said soil nailing and anchoring should be used to strengthen the slope from below and within, and that for the long term a 400 to 500 metre tunnel could be considered, with a bridge over the Trishuli as another option. The Nepal Geotechnical Society is also providing expert support to the department.

The Dashain clock: why one week matters

The timing is what turns an engineering story into a travel story. Major festivals including Dashain are scheduled next month, and tens of thousands of people travel from Kathmandu to their home districts for the holidays. The Kathmandu Post reports growing concern over whether vehicles will be able to operate through Krishnabhir in time for that travel rush.

“We will determine within a week whether vehicles can operate through Krishnabhir,” Jaisi said. If the section can be restored, he noted, there will be no immediate problem. If not, the department will continue improving the alternative routes.

For travellers with Dashain or autumn trekking plans, that one-week decision window is the single most important date to watch. Even if the track opens, expect single-lane operation, convoy working hours and slow speeds at first. And remember that the wider corridor is still recovering: the Narayangadh-Mugling road is under partial closure until two-way Prithvi Highway traffic resumes, and the August flood also destroyed the concrete bridge at Furke Khola, severing the direct link between Dhadingbesi and the highway.

Detour routes around Krishnabhir

According to the Department of Roads, these are the routes carrying traffic while Krishnabhir is closed. Vehicle operators and trekkers hiring private transport should confirm current conditions before departure, as work is ongoing on all of them.

Route How it runs Notes
Galchhi to Parewatar (opposite bank) Cross the bridge near the Hamlet Restaurant in ward 4 of Galchhi Rural Municipality on the Nagdhunga-Malekhu section, travel the opposite bank, exit at Parewatar and reach Dhadingbesi About 20 km; serves Dhading, Gorkha, Pokhara and Gandaki Province traffic
Fishling to Benighat Cross the Fishling Bridge in Chitwan and reach the Benighat Bridge in Dhading About 17.5 km; about 1.5 km is problematic, fast-track bids invited to open a proper track
Kanti Rajpath (Kanti Highway) Kathmandu to Chitwan and other districts via the old hill road Currently operational; inbound traffic enters Kathmandu through Naubise on the Tribhuvan Highway while outbound traffic is diverted through the Kantirajpath
BP Highway Eastern alternative toward the Terai Currently operational for other destinations, officials said

On the Fishling-Benighat route, 10 kilometres have been constructed and are operated by provincial governments, while six kilometres were built by local governments, and the road is currently in use. Some sections are only one lane wide, a department official acknowledged, though most of the route has two-lane roads.

The 2018 World Bank study is back from the dead

The most striking detail in the new announcement is that a detailed, ready-to-tender engineering study for exactly this problem already exists. It was carried out under the Nepal-India Regional Trade and Transport Project with World Bank loan assistance, and the detailed study for all three sections was completed in July 2018 and submitted to the Department of Roads.

That study examined the 94.66-km Nagdhunga-Mugling road along with two alternatives on the opposite bank of the Trishuli: the 12.4-km Sisne-Dharke section and the 15.3-km Bishaltar-Fishling section. The Sisne-Dharke road was estimated to cost Rs4.3 billion, with about 500 ropani (25.44 hectares) of land to acquire and Rs1.75 billion for land acquisition and compensation. It would have needed a 180-metre tunnel costing Rs575 million, the felling of 1,620 trees, four bridges, 29 pipe culverts and 10 box culverts. The Bishaltar-Fishling road was estimated at Rs6.05 billion, with 350 ropani (17.81 hectares), Rs2.9 billion for land, Rs147 million for structures, 5,190 trees, seven bridges, 23 pipe culverts and eight box culverts.

The government shelved the two opposite-bank roads because the cost of compensation was higher than the construction cost, a department official told the Post. Only the Nagdhunga-Mugling upgrade went ahead.

Why is this relevant now? The physical copy of the study was destroyed in a fire during the Gen Z movement, and officials are hunting for the soft copy. Arjun Prasad Aryal, chief of the Development Assistance Implementation Division, said the department is searching for the digital version: “If we find the report, we can discuss what can be done based on the study.” One official added that land acquisition may no longer be necessary because existing roads built by provincial and local governments on the opposite bank could simply be improved.

In other words, the permanent fix being floated this week may not start from a blank page. A fully studied alignment, shelved on cost grounds in 2018, could be revived if the report resurfaces and the Cabinet approves using the opposite bank.

Why the Prithvi Highway matters so much

The numbers explain the urgency. The Prithvi Highway, designated NH17, runs 174 kilometres from Naubise, 26 km from Kathmandu on the Tribhuvan Highway, to Prithivi Chowk in Pokhara, the tourist capital of western Nepal (Wikipedia, Prithvi Highway). The road normally carries about 12,000 vehicles a day, making it the busiest single artery into the capital and the main overland approach for travellers heading to Pokhara, the Annapurna region and the Langtang trailheads beyond.

When Krishnabhir closed, the effects reached every corner of Nepal’s tourist economy, as TravellingNepal has tracked since the collapse: Pokhara’s tourist buses went idle while Bharatpur-Kathmandu flights doubled as travellers switched to the air. Anyone planning overland travel this autumn should also read our guide on how to get to Nepal in 2026 for the wider flight and overland picture.

A slope with a long memory

Krishnabhir has been failing for decades. A major landslide first occurred there in 2000, and a large slide that August blocked the highway for 11 days, according to local residents. Authorities later carried out bioengineering and retaining-wall works to control the slope. The Department of Roads reported last year that the road at Krishnabhir had begun sagging and sinking because of water, with river erosion weakening the road’s base, prompting works on micro-piling, horizontal anchors and drainage improvements.

As our earlier coverage noted, the highway also carries older flood scars: in 1993, floods washed out three major bridges on the road, near Mahadevbesi, Belkhu and Malekhu. Against that record, the experts’ insistence on a permanent tunnel or bridge reads less like ambition and more like an overdue response to a documented pattern.

What travellers should do now

Practical steps while the decision window runs:

  1. Check road status the day you travel. The department’s one-week decision will change conditions at Krishnabhir, and detour routes are being upgraded continuously. Ask your bus operator or driver which route they are using.
  2. Budget extra hours. The Galchhi-Parewatar route alone adds about 20 km of winding two-lane road, and convoy or one-lane operation is likely at first even if the track opens.
  3. Book Dashain travel early. Tens of thousands of people move during the festival, and this year they will all be competing for seats on detour-affected routes.
  4. Consider flying. Kathmandu-Pokhara and Kathmandu-Bharatpur capacity has already surged as travellers abandon the road. Compare the flight option against a long detour if your schedule is tight.
  5. Avoid night travel on detours. Police and officials continue to warn of landslide risk across the monsoon-affected road network, and monsoon hazard does not end with the calendar.
  6. Watch for the follow-up. When the department announces its decision on reopening, and any decision on tunnels versus bridges, TravellingNepal will cover it.

Key takeaways

  • The Department of Roads is studying two permanent fixes for Krishnabhir: twin 500-metre tunnels or two bridges across the Trishuli, choosing whichever proves cheaper.
  • A decision on whether vehicles can operate through Krishnabhir is due within a week, ahead of Dashain travel next month.
  • About 70 metres of highway collapsed on 30 August after the 26 August Bhotekoshi flood eroded the Trishuli riverbank; a roughly 300-metre section remains fully closed.
  • Confirmed detours: Galchhi-Parewatar (about 20 km), Fishling-Benighat (about 17.5 km), plus the Kanti Rajpath and BP Highway.
  • A 2018 World Bank-funded study of opposite-bank alignments, completed to tender stage and then shelved, could be revived if a surviving soft copy is found.
  • Experts warn the temporary track is not a solution and want immediate slope stabilisation alongside any bypass plan.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Prithvi Highway open at Krishnabhir?

No. As of 9 September 2026, traffic is completely halted along the roughly 300-metre section at Krishnabhir where about 70 metres of road collapsed into the Trishuli on 30 August. The Department of Roads says it will determine within a week whether vehicles can operate through the section on a temporary track now being cut above the landslide.

How do I travel between Kathmandu and Pokhara while Krishnabhir is closed?

Vehicles are being routed around the closure via Galchhi and Parewatar on the opposite bank of the Trishuli, or via the Fishling Bridge to the Benighat Bridge, while the Kanti Rajpath and BP Highway carry traffic to other destinations. Tourist buses face longer journeys, and many travellers have switched to flights, which have added capacity. Confirm the current route with your operator on the day you travel.

Will a tunnel or bridge at Krishnabhir be built before Dashain?

No. The tunnels and bridges are under study, with no budget, timeline or construction decision announced. The immediate goal is reopening the existing section on a temporary track in time for Dashain travel next month. The permanent works would be a separate, longer process, and an opposite-bank road would need Cabinet approval.

What are the two options the government is studying?

The Department of Roads says it is studying two tunnels, each about 500 metres long, to bypass the landslide-prone section, or two permanent bridges that would take the highway across the Trishuli and bring it back to the original side farther downstream. Officials will compare which option is cheaper before deciding anything further.

Why does Krishnabhir keep collapsing?

The slope has a documented history: a major landslide in 2000 blocked the highway for 11 days that August, and the Department of Roads reported last year that the roadbed had been sagging as river erosion weakened its base. The August 2026 Bhotekoshi flood, which surged down the Trishuli, eroded the toe of the slope until the road bench failed. Engineers say only a tunnel or a bridge can remove the highway from the hazard zone for good.

Sources

Published 9 September 2026. This article will be updated when the Department of Roads announces its decision on reopening Krishnabhir or selecting a permanent bypass option. All facts above are sourced from the linked articles as of publication.

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