Nepal
- Roads
Nepal is a
landlocked country in which road transport is the primary form of transport
used for cargo and passengers. The road network in Nepal consists of the
Strategic Road Network (SRN), which is managed at the central level, and the Local
Road Network (LRN), which is managed at the local level. The SRN consists of
national highways (NH) and feeder roads (FR). All roads within municipal
boundaries that do not belong to the SRN are considered urban roads (UR), while
the remaining roads are classified as either district roads (DR) or village
roads (VR).
According to the
Department of Local Infrastructure Development and Agricultural Roads
(DoLIDAR), Nepal has 6,683 rural roads, the combined length of which is 50,943
km. Of these, 1,575 km are blacktop, 14,601 km are gravel and 34,766 km are
earthen fair-weather roads. At present, 73 districts headquarters out of 75
have access to roads. The country has a road density of about 34.41 per 100 sq
km, whereas effective population kilometres per 1,000 is 1.91. The national
road network in Nepal (excluding all local roads) is worth about NPR 90 billion
(USD 900 million), which represents almost 20% of the country’s GNP. These
roads comprise a substantial investment, underscoring the need to maintain
these roads.
There is a backlog
of maintenance on more than 50,943 km of rural roads under the Local Road
Network. As a result, a large proportion of the roads are in ‘poor’ condition
and beyond routine maintenance. These roads require reconstruction/ rehabilitation.
Nepal Road
Standards 1971 (Second Revision in 2014) is applicable to all strategic roads
in rural areas being constructed within Nepal. For non-strategic (local roads)
and urban roads, separate standards are applicable.
Comparative Chart of Strategic Road Network (SRN)
Length (2006/07 – 2015/16)
|
Year
|
Length
|
Total
|
Influenced Population (no. per km)
|
Density km/100 sq km
|
|
BT
|
GR
|
ER
|
|
2006/07
|
4258.20
|
2061.7
|
3079.48
|
9399.38
|
2463.08
|
6.39
|
|
2009/10
|
4952.11
|
2065.15
|
3817.76
|
10835.02
|
2136.7
|
7.36
|
|
2011/12
|
5573.55
|
1888.49
|
4173.55
|
11635.58
|
2287.88
|
7.91
|
|
2013/14
|
6368.98
|
1735.49
|
4389.47
|
12493.94
|
2130.70
|
8.49
|
|
2015/16
|
6823.43
|
2044.22
|
4030.55
|
12898.20
|
2063.92
|
8.76
|
Where, UC – Under Construction, PL – Planned Road, ER – Earthen Road, GR
– Gravel Road, BT – Black Topped Road
Summary of Eastern Development Region Road Length
in Kms
|
Road Classification
|
BT
|
GR
|
ER
|
Total
|
UC
|
PL
|
|
National Highway
|
634.15
|
68.58
|
115.00
|
817.73
|
29.00
|
80.00
|
|
Feeder Road
|
633.67
|
311.50
|
394.06
|
1339.23
|
0.00
|
131.50
|
|
Mid-Hill Road
|
48.00
|
128.00
|
248.00
|
424.00
|
0.00
|
0.00
|
|
Postal Road
|
23.00
|
63.00
|
50.00
|
136.00
|
16.00
|
9.00
|
|
Total
|
1338.82
|
571.08
|
807.06
|
2716.96
|
45.00
|
220.50
|
Summary of Central Development Region Road Length
in Kms
|
Road Classification
|
BT
|
GR
|
ER
|
Total
|
UC
|
PL
|
|
National Highway
|
847.37
|
28.81
|
0.00
|
876.18
|
0.00
|
142.80
|
|
Feeder Road
|
1115.71
|
548.98
|
478.54
|
2143.22
|
73.90
|
375.09
|
|
Mid-Hill Road
|
47.00
|
47.00
|
54.00
|
148.00
|
33.00
|
80.00
|
|
Postal Road
|
39.00
|
147.00
|
63.00
|
249.00
|
16.50
|
12.50
|
|
Total
|
2049.08
|
771.79
|
595.54
|
3416.40 q
|
123.40
|
610.39
|
Summary of Western Development Region Road Length
in Kms
|
Road Classification
|
BT
|
GR
|
ER
|
Total
|
UC
|
PL
|
|
National Highway
|
478.16
|
0.00
|
0.00
|
478.16
|
0.00
|
0.00
|
|
Feeder Road
|
726.62
|
98.06
|
1213.49
|
2038.17
|
8.00
|
195.01
|
|
Mid-Hill Road
|
62.00
|
13.00
|
140.00
|
215.00
|
0.00
|
27.00
|
|
Postal Road
|
0.00
|
58.50
|
2.00
|
60.50
|
0.00
|
8.00
|
|
Total
|
1266.78
|
169.56
|
1355.49
|
2791.83
|
8.00
|
230.01
|
Summary of Mid - Western Development Region Road
Length in Kms
|
Road Classification
|
BT
|
GR
|
ER
|
Total
|
UC
|
PL
|
|
National Highway
|
724.44
|
8.00
|
2.66
|
735.10
|
0.00
|
0.00
|
|
Feeder Road
|
563.55
|
238.67
|
500.00
|
1302.22
|
156.40
|
366.00
|
|
Mid-Hill Road
|
0.00
|
32.00
|
296.00
|
328.00
|
0.00
|
0.00
|
|
Postal Road
|
24.00
|
52.00
|
24.00
|
100.00
|
3.00
|
8.00
|
|
Total
|
1311.99
|
330.67
|
822.66
|
2465.32
|
159.40
|
374.00
|
Summary of Far - Western Development Region Road
Length in Kms
|
Road Classification
|
BT
|
GR
|
ER
|
Total
|
UC
|
PL
|
|
National Highway
|
518.03
|
0.00
|
50.00
|
568.03
|
0.00
|
93.30
|
|
Feeder Road
|
281.03
|
149.12
|
332.30
|
762.45
|
0.00
|
434.00
|
|
Mid-Hill Road
|
20.00
|
0.00
|
61.00
|
81.00
|
0.00
|
0.00
|
|
Postal Road
|
37.70
|
52.00
|
6.50
|
96.20
|
27.50
|
3.00
|
|
Total
|
856.76
|
201.12
|
449.80
|
1507.68
|
27.50
|
530.30
|