The main road link between Kathmandu and the rest of central Nepal is finally open again. The Prithvi Highway, the vital artery connecting the capital with Pokhara and towns across the hills, had been shut for nearly 18 days after landslides tore through sections of the route. Engineers have now cleared the blockages and traffic is moving once more.
For a road most visitors barely think about, the closure had a serious ripple effect. Kathmandu, which depends heavily on trucks bringing in supplies, ran short of cooking gas during the blockade, and the prices of food and vegetables climbed as goods became harder to move in. It was a reminder of how fragile Nepal's transport network can be — one slope giving way on a single highway can pinch the entire capital.
If you're travelling in Nepal, the Prithvi Highway matters to you directly. It's the classic overland route between Kathmandu and Pokhara, the gateway to the Annapurna region and the country's biggest trekking hub. Most tourist buses, private transfers and supply trucks all use this winding road along the Trishuli River. Even when it's open, journeys can be slow: monsoon-season landslides, roadworks and traffic routinely stretch the roughly 200-kilometre drive well beyond the six hours a map suggests.
The timing here is the key lesson. Nepal's monsoon generally runs from June to September, and this is precisely when landslide risk peaks. If you're planning a trip that hinges on overland travel — say, flying into Kathmandu and bussing to Pokhara for a trek — build in buffer days, consider flying between the two cities instead, and check road conditions the day you travel. Local news outlets and bus operators are usually quick to flag closures.
For travellers already in Nepal when disruptions hit, the practical impact is usually manageable but annoying: bus schedules slip, fuel and food prices rise locally, and popular routes get congested once roads reopen as backlogged traffic clears. Allow extra time, keep some cash on hand, and treat any fixed connection — a trekking permit date, a return flight — with a little flexibility.
The reopening is good news for anyone heading to the hills this season. The road is back, the capital's supply lines are recovering, and the Kathmandu–Pokhara route is business as usual — at least until the next heavy rain.
