Nagdhunga Tunnel Passage acheives a breakthrough

KATHMANDU, APRIL 15:  The construction of the Nagdhunga-Sisne Khola Tunnel, the country’s first project of its kind, has achieved a breakthrough. This was announced by the government holding a ceremony today with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ switching on the electric control for the breakthrough of the tunnel from both the Dhading and Kathmandu sides. The tunnel connects Sisnekhola of Dhading to Totipakha of Chandragiri municipality-1 in Kathmandu.

While addressing the program, the Prime Minister said the very achievement is significant in the area of infrastructure development. “This kind of road connectivity will play a crucial role in meeting the national goals for promoting interconnectivity for convenient and affordable travel, for promoting geographical and democratic closeness, and for maintaining provincial balance in terms of development.”

As he said, the government will pursue a policy of prioritising the construction of tunnel passages, flyovers, and underpasses along the national highways to establish advanced road connectivity.

The Nagdhunga-Sisne Khola Tunnel measuring 2,688 meters in length is expected to be operational after a year. Still, there remain technical tasks like lining, equipment installation, and finishing touches to be completed.

The national project, which started in October 2019, was expected to the see the completion within three and a half years. However, the very expectation did not materialise thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic and continuous local obstruction.

The Rs 22 billion tunnel road project has 1  overpass, 1 flyover, 3 underpasses, 3 bridges and 4 box culverts. It is being developed by a Japanese company, Hazma Ando Corporation.