Araniko Highway

Araniko Highway
अरनिको राजमार्ग
Route information
Part of AH42
Length: 144 km (89 mi)
Major junctions
From: Kathmandu
  Road to Palanchown at Lamidanda
Road to Jiri 14 km after Dolalghat
To: Kodari
China G318 Road
Location
Primary
destinations:		 Dhulikhel, Dolalghat, Lomosangu, Bahrabise
Highway system
Roads in Nepal

The Araniko Highway (Nepali: अरनिको राजमार्ग) connects Kathmandu with Kodari, 115 kilometres (71 mi) northeast of the Kathmandu Valley, on the Nepal-China border. It is among the most dangerous of highways in Nepal due to extremely steep slopes on each side of the road from Barabise onwards, massive landslides and bus plunges[1] are not uncommon especially after rains. At the Sino-Nepal Friendship Bridge, it connects with China National Highway 318 to Lhasa, and eventually to Shanghai.[2]

Etymology

The highway is named after Arniko, a 13th-century Nepalese architect who introduced Nepalese architectural styles to Tibet and China.

Route

Dhulikhel, about 30 kilometres (19 mi) from Kathmandu and at an altitude of 1,585 metres (5,200 ft), is the last major village in the Kathmandu Valley through which the Araniko Highway passes.[2] After Dhulikhel the road descends into the beautiful Panchkhal Valley. A road junction at Lamidanda, around 12 km from Dhulikhel, leads to Palanchowk. About five minutes' drive beyond the town of Panchkhal a dirt road takes off to the left, giving access to the Helambu region. About 8 km later the highway touches Dolaghat, a thriving town at the confluence of the Indravati and the Sun Kosi rivers and the departure point for many rafting trips. The turn-off to Jiri is another 14 km away, on the right. Lamosangu is a few kilometres after the Jiri turn-off, on the Arniko Highway.[3] Next comes Barabise, the final destination for many buses from Kathmandu. Just before Barabise is the confluence of the Bhote Kosi and Sun Kosi rivers. The remaining part to the Nepal border village of Kodari the road runs alongside the Sun Kosi[2] with extremely steep Himalayan mountainsides that are very prone to landslides during and immediately after rains (including monsoon). Beyond Kodari is the border town of Zhangmu in Tibet.

Significance

The Aarniko Rajmarg provides Nepal's overland link with China. However, it is of limited use as an alternative route for transport of goods, as it is cheaper to ship Chinese goods via Kolkata than to truck them through China's Tibet region.[3] These dynamics are subject to change with heavy road/rail building investment on the Tibet side.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Araniko Highway.

External links

References

  1. ↑ "AsiaTravel NEPAL COMBINE". Content.yudu.com. Retrieved 2012-08-13.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Dorje, Gyurme. Footprint Tibet Handbook: with Bhutan. Arniko Highway to Tibet, p. 818 (Google books). Retrieved 2010-05-14.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Arniko Rajmarg to Tibet". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 2010-05-14.