Nepal's new highways will lift over wildlife crossings — $305.75 million to move people and animals safely

The Asian Development Bank has approved $305.75 million — a $285 million loan, a $20 million grant, and $750,000 in technical help — to rebuild about 70 kilometers of Nepal's East–West Highway from two lanes to four, with a twist: a raised section will soar over the Barandabhar wildlife corridor so animals can keep moving between protected forests in the Terai Arc Landscape instead of dodging trucks. The project also widens an 8.7-kilometer stretch of the Prithvi Highway between Kathmandu and Pokhara, funds biodiversity work and sustainable tourism near Chitwan, improves road safety, and trains women for new livelihoods. "Transport investment and biodiversity conservation can go together," said the bank's Nepal director, Arnaud Cauchois.