Kathmandu, July 27 (IANS) Nepal’s first road tunnel officially came into operation on Monday, marking the country’s entry into the era of tunnel roads.
Minister for Infrastructure Development Sunil Lamsal formally inaugurated the Nagdhunga-Sisneri Tunnel, a 2.68-km section of the Prithvi Highway at the western gateway to the Kathmandu Valley, during a ceremony attended by government officials and diplomats.
The tunnel, built with concessional loan assistance from the Japanese government, is expected to reduce travel time by 20 to 30 minutes. At present, vehicles must navigate the winding mountain road at Nagdhunga to enter Kathmandu, making the journey slow and time-consuming.
Following the inauguration, Lamsal told journalists that similar road tunnels would now be built across the country.
“We will build more tunnels like this throughout the country. We have learned many lessons during the construction of this project. We have now formally entered the tunnel era,” he said.
Another major tunnel project — the Siddhababa Tunnel in western Nepal’s Palpa District — is currently under construction. The Nepali government has also been conducting feasibility studies for around two dozen additional road tunnel projects in various parts of the country, according to the Department of Roads.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Japanese Ambassador to Nepal Maeda Toru said the project brought together Japanese technical expertise and the dedication and skills of Nepali professionals.
“Nearly 98 per cent of the engineers, technicians and workers involved in the project were Nepali, whose commitment was indispensable to its successful completion,” he said.
Maeda said Japanese experts had worked closely with Nepali engineers, sharing knowledge and strengthening technical capacity, as well as safety and quality management practices.
“The experience gained through this tunnel will enable these engineers to play a leading role in Nepal’s future infrastructure development,” he added.
The ambassador also announced that Nepal and Japan would launch a new technical cooperation initiative to strengthen Nepal’s capacity in tunnel planning, construction, maintenance and operation.
Although the tunnel was formally opened on Monday, only emergency vehicles — including ambulances, fire engines and security force vehicles — will be allowed to use it during the first 10 days, according to the Nagdhunga Tunnel Project Office.
The government plans to gradually open the tunnel to other vehicles. The project office will operate the tunnel in a three-month testing phase before allowing regular operation for all types of vehicles.
A joint venture between China’s Yusin and Nepal’s ART, selected through a competitive bidding process, will be responsible for the tunnel’s operation and maintenance, including traffic management, emergency response and toll collection, for the next five years.
The joint venture involving the Chinese company was awarded the operation and maintenance contract despite reported reservations from the Japanese side.
As Nepal has no prior experience operating a toll road tunnel, the government decided to hire a foreign company to manage the facility during its initial years of operation.
Construction of the Nagdhunga Tunnel Project officially began after then Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli laid the foundation stone on October 21, 2019.
Although the project was originally scheduled for completion within 42 months, it took nearly seven years to finish because of delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, land compensation disputes, and conflicts with local communities over drinking water and other issues.
According to the project office, the total cost of the project reached around 24 billion Nepali rupees.
–IANS
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