--- title: "Historical development of roads in Nepal" subject: "Transportation Engineering I" chapter: 1 key: "semester_6/transportation_engineering_i:historical-development-roads" source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_6/transportation_engineering_i/historical-development-roads site: BCT Engineering --- # Historical development of roads in Nepal Transportation Engineering I · Chapter 1: Introduction to Transportation Planning and engineering - Asked in: 2065 Kartik (old course), 4 marks; 2064 Poush (old course), 4+2+2 marks (asked 2 times) - Video: [नेपालमा सडक विकाशको इतिहास र हालको अवस्था | Nepal Roadway](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-ZAGxxm2UE) — The Stony - Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14 - Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_6/transportation_engineering_i/historical-development-roads - Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_6/transportation_engineering_i/chapter-1 ## Question Briefly describe the historical development of roads and road construction in Nepal. What is the current state of affairs in road construction in Nepal? What are the government's plans regarding this issue? ## Short answer Nepal’s roads progressed from foot trails; the first major motorable road was Tribhuvan Rajpath (1956). The current strategic network (~14,000–17,000 km) includes many not all-weather roads. Government plans include completing the Postal Highway, Mid-Hill Highway, Fast Track, and connecting all district headquarters with blacktopped roads. ## Answer #### Historical development of roads in Nepal - **Early period:** for centuries only foot trails and mule tracks existed, linking the Kathmandu valley with Tibet and India. Trade routes through Kuti and Kerung were used by merchants and traders. - **Rana period (1846-1951):** a few roads were built in the Kathmandu valley. Chandra Shamsher built the Raxaul-Amlekhgunj railway (1927), a motorable road from Amlekhgunj to Bhimphedi, and the Dhorsing (Bhimphedi)-Kathmandu ropeway. Motorable roads were limited to the valley and the Terai near the Indian border, and the first vehicles were carried into Kathmandu on porters' shoulders. - **After 1951:** planned development started. The first major motorable road, the **Tribhuvan Rajpath** (Kathmandu-Naubise-Daman-Hetauda, connecting to Birgunj/Raxaul), was built with Indian help and completed in 1956. It was followed by the Kathmandu-Kodari **Araniko Highway** (Chinese help, 1967), the **Prithvi Highway** (Kathmandu-Pokhara, 1973), the **Siddhartha Highway** (Pokhara-Sunauli) and the east-west **Mahendra Highway** (about 1,000 km, built in phases from the 1960s onwards). - **Periodic plans** since 1956 have given priority to roads; the Department of Roads (DoR) was formed in 1970, and the Nepal Road Standard (first issued in 1970 as NRS 2027, later revised as NRS 2070) guides design. - Later, rural and district roads grew through district and village development programmes and the Local Road Network. #### Present state - The Strategic Road Network is about 14,000-17,000 km (as per DoR statistics; the exact length changes every year), and the total road network, including local roads, is many times larger. - Many National Highways are only partly black-topped; some feeder roads are gravel or earthen, and some hill roads are not all-weather. - Problems: landslides and floods, weak maintenance, limited funds, a high accident rate, and many roads not built to the design standard. #### Government plans - Complete the missing links of the **Postal Highway (Hulaki Rajmarg)**, the **Mid-Hill Highway (Pushpalal Lokmarg)** and several north-south corridors to the Chinese and Indian borders. - Build the **Kathmandu-Terai (Madhesh) Fast Track** expressway and widen the Mahendra Highway. - Connect all district headquarters by black-topped roads and reduce travel time between major cities. - Improve maintenance through the Roads Board and sector programmes, with road safety and bio-engineering measures. - Strengthen local roads through provincial and local governments (details change with each national periodic plan). ## Check yourself The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why. 1. Which was the first major motorable road built after 1951 with Indian help? A. Mahendra Highway B. Tribhuvan Rajpath C. Prithvi Highway D. Araniko Highway Answer: B. Tribhuvan Rajpath (Kathmandu-Bhimphedi-Hetauda-Birgunj/Raxaul, completed 1956) was built with Indian help. (Key point: First major motorable road) 2. Which highway is the East-West highway of about 1,000 km built in phases? A. Siddhartha Highway B. Prithvi Highway C. Araniko Highway D. Mahendra Highway Answer: D. The Mahendra Highway is the east-west highway built in phases from the 1960s. (Key point: Major highways) 3. Which problem is listed for Nepal's present road state? A. Too many expressways B. All highways fully black-topped C. Landslides, floods, weak maintenance and limited funds D. Excess funds for maintenance Answer: C. Problems include landslides and floods, weak maintenance, limited funds and high accident rates. (Key point: Current problems) 4. Which is among the government's plans for roads? A. Closing the Mahendra Highway B. Removing all local roads C. Stopping black-topping D. Completing missing links of Hulaki Rajmarg and Pushpalal Lokmarg and building the Fast Track Answer: D. Plans include completing the Postal and Mid-hill highways and the Kathmandu-Terai Fast Track. (Key point: Government plans) ## Related in Transportation Engineering I - [Design and construction problems of hill roads](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Ftransportation_engineering_i%3Ahill-problems) — Transportation Engineering I, chapter 5, asked 11× - [Advantages of road transport in Nepal](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Ftransportation_engineering_i%3Aroad-transport-advantages) — Transportation Engineering I, chapter 1, asked 8× - [Macadam road construction method](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Ftransportation_engineering_i%3Amacadam-construction) — Transportation Engineering I, chapter 1 - [Road classification as per NRS 2070](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Ftransportation_engineering_i%3Aroad-classification-nrs) — Transportation Engineering I, chapter 1, asked 13× - [Special considerations in hill road design](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Ftransportation_engineering_i%3Ahill-special-considerations) — Transportation Engineering I, chapter 5, asked 5× - [Hill road drainage structures](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Ftransportation_engineering_i%3Ahill-drainage-structures) — Transportation Engineering I, chapter 5, asked 4× ## Related in other subjects - [Report on road construction in remote Nepal](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fcommunication_english%3Areport-road-construction-remote-nepal) — Communication English, chapter 9 - [Historical development of soil mechanics](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_4%2Fsoil_mechanics%3Ahistorical-development-soil-mechanics) — Soil Mechanics, chapter 1 - [Water supply system and historical development](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fwater_supply_engineering%3Aws-historical-development) — Water Supply Engineering, chapter 1 - [Government support and startup policy in Nepal](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fentrepreneurship_development%3Astartup-policy-government-support-nepal) — Entrepreneurship Development, chapter 8