Mahakali Highway

Mahakali Highway
Mahakali Highway
राष्ट्रिय राजमार्ग ६६
National Highway 66
	NH66 in red
Route information
	Maintained by MoPIT (Department of Roads)
Length	364.94 km (226.76 mi)
Major junctions
From	Mahakali Khalanga
To	Dhangadhi
Location
Country	Nepal
Provinces	Sudurpashchim
Districts	Kailali District, Doti District, Dadeldhura District, Baitadi District, Darchula District
Primary; destinations	Patan Municipality, Amargadhi
Highway system
	Roads in Nepal;

Mahakali Highway (National Highway 66, NH66) is a National Highway of Nepal located in Sudur Province. The total length of the highway is 364.93 km (226.76 mi), in which 234.93 km (145.98 mi) of the road has been paved.^[1] ^[2]

History

Mahakali Highway formerly was a 325 km (201.95 mi) long Highway with the old number H14 connecting Dhangadhi of Kailali District (Western Terai region) to Mahakali Municipality of Darchula District (Lesser Himalayas) passing through Doti District, Dadeldhura District and Baitadi District. The road from Syaule (Dadeldhura) to Satbanj (Darchula) was built with the assistance of USA between 1967 and 1985.^[3]

On the closure of roads from Darchula to India by the Indian side on various excuses, Nepal decided to extend the road from Darchula Khalanga (Headquarters) to Chhangru and Tinkar (Great Himalayas).^[4] Chhangru, Tinkar and Khalanga are all inside Nepali territory, but one has to pass through Indian territory to get from Khalanga to these two villages, as there were no roads or foot trails on the Nepali side.^[5] Nepal Army is working to open a track from Tusarpani to Tinkar in Darchula district. Around 92 km of dirt track—31 km in Dadeldhura, 34 km in Baitadi and 27 km in Darchula—is yet to be opened.^[6]

The extension work of Mahakali Highway, NH66 (from Dattu to Tinkar) is being under Mahakali Corridor Project^[7]^[8]

References

^ "Statics of National Highway 2020_21" (PDF). Nepal in data. Department of Roads (Nepal). 2021-09-22. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
^ "Statics of Strategic Road Network". Department of Roads (Nepal). 2023. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
^ "SSRN 2017 18". Department of Roads. 2018. Retrieved 27 Jul 2024.
^ "Indian side closes down border point in Darchula". The Kathmandu post. 26 Aug 2014. Retrieved 27 Jul 2024.
^ "Chhangru and Tinkar locals return home as border opened for a few hours on Thursday". The Kathmandu Post. 21 May 2020. Retrieved 27 Jul 2024.
^ "Dirt track opening work completed in Kanchanpur section of Mahakali Corridor". The Kathmandu Post. 22 January 2024. Retrieved 27 Jul 2024.
^ "Mahakali corridor: 241-km-long track opened so far in 15 years". My Republica. 4 Jan 2024. Retrieved 28 Jul 2024.
^ "Mahakali corridor road project in limbo". The Kathmandu Post. 21 Mar 2023. Retrieved 28 Jul 2024.

[1] "Statics of National Highway 2020_21" (PDF). Nepal in data. Department of Roads (Nepal). 2021-09-22. Retrieved 2024-06-18.

[2] "Statics of Strategic Road Network". Department of Roads (Nepal). 2023. Retrieved 2024-06-18.

[3] "SSRN 2017 18". Department of Roads. 2018. Retrieved 27 Jul 2024.

[4] "Indian side closes down border point in Darchula". The Kathmandu post. 26 Aug 2014. Retrieved 27 Jul 2024.

[5] "Chhangru and Tinkar locals return home as border opened for a few hours on Thursday". The Kathmandu Post. 21 May 2020. Retrieved 27 Jul 2024.

[6] "Dirt track opening work completed in Kanchanpur section of Mahakali Corridor". The Kathmandu Post. 22 January 2024. Retrieved 27 Jul 2024.

[7] "Mahakali corridor: 241-km-long track opened so far in 15 years". My Republica. 4 Jan 2024. Retrieved 28 Jul 2024.

[8] "Mahakali corridor road project in limbo". The Kathmandu Post. 21 Mar 2023. Retrieved 28 Jul 2024.

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