Kathmandu: A significant milestone has been achieved in the construction of the Kathmandu-Tarai Expressway with the successful breakthrough of the Dhedre tunnel. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli made the announcement, highlighting this as a crucial step forward in the project.
Located in Bakaiya Rural Municipality of Makwanpur, the Dhedre tunnel is the final tunnel to be completed for Package 2, contracted to Poly Changda Construction Company. Previous breakthroughs had been achieved at the Lendada tunnels.
The 70.977-kilometer expressway will feature a total of 10.309 kilometers of tunnels, with the Dhedre tunnel spanning 1691 meters. The project involves the construction of six tunnels in total, with the longest, Mahadevdada, reaching 3355 meters. The Nepali Army, responsible for overseeing the project, reports that 65% of the work on this tunnel is complete.
Overall, the Kathmandu-Tarai Expressway project is 35.38% finished. The Nepali Army has been managing the construction since 2017, dividing the project into various packages. While work is currently underway on the 6.5 km to 70.977 km stretch, the initial 6.5 km section is yet to commence due to ongoing disputes.
The expressway, connecting Lalitpur’s Khokana to Bara’s Nijgadh, is expected to significantly improve transportation and connectivity between the capital and the southern plains.
