Biratchowk, Nepal – A significant milestone was reached Monday for the Nagdhunga Tunnel, a project hailed as a gateway to an era of tunnel roads in Nepal. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal initiated a controlled blast for the breakthrough, marking a major step forward in connecting Sisnekhola of Dhading to Totipakha of Chandragiri Municipality-1 in Kathmandu.
Present for the ceremony were Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Raghubir Mahaseth, other senior government officials, federal lawmakers, and Province Assembly members.
While vehicular traffic won’t be possible for approximately a year, the breakthrough brings the project closer to completion. Work remains on installing lights, and oxygen pipes, and finalizing the road surface within the 2,688-meter tunnel. An evacuation tunnel saw its breakthrough in July-August 2023.
The project, undertaken by the Japanese company Hazama Ando Corporation, has an estimated cost of around Rs 22 billion.
About the Nagdhunga Tunnel
The Nagdhunga Tunnel project is designed to ease traffic congestion on a key route in and out of Kathmandu. It’s anticipated to offer a faster, safer, and more reliable alternative to the current winding highway pass. Its successful completion signifies an important step in modernizing Nepal’s infrastructure.
