Nepal's first transport tunnel being built with Japanese assistance

Apr 16, 2024

Dhading (Nepal), April 16 (ANI): Nepal's first-ever transport tunnel, the Nagdhunga-Sisneri Tunnel, being built with Japanese aid, witnessed a breakthrough on Monday. Nepali Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal switched on the electric control for the controlled explosion for the breakthrough of the tunnel, bringing down the 2 metre portion, marking it as a breakthrough and the end of the digging process. The tunnel, covering a length of about 2,688 metres, connects Sisnekhola of Dhading to Totipakha of Chandragiri Municipality-1 in Kathmandu. But it will come into operation after a year as other infrastructural improvements remain to be completed. However, it will take some time to fix lights and oxygen pipes and upgrade the road inside the tunnel, it is said. The total cost of the project is around NRs 22 billion. It is being developed by the Japanese company, Hazma Ando Corporation. Nepal and Japan had undertaken various surveys and studies from 2013 to 2015 to study the feasibility of the construction of Nepal's first transport tunnel. The under-construction tunnel started its work in 2019, right before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. As per the project office, the main tunnel covers a distance of 2,688 metres with 2 lanes of 3.5 metres in width, while the rescue or evacuation tunnel has a length of 2,557 metres with a width of 4.7 metres. Nepal and Japan signed the contract for construction of the tunnel on September 23, 2019, while the commencement started on November 14, 2019.