KATHMANDU: Nepal’s first Nagdhunga-Sisnekhola tunnel road is expected to come into operation from next month. The Nagdhunga Tunnel Road Project has started internal preparations to allow vehicles to use the tunnel from next month.
Construction works, service provider selection, and other major tasks of the tunnel have already been completed. The project is currently managing manpower deployment and conducting tunnel safety tests before opening.
Project Director Saujanya Nepal said preparations are underway to operate the tunnel within Shrawan. According to him, except for landslide control work near the western portal in Dhading, other works have been completed.
“The main works inside the tunnel have been completed. We are currently testing emergency response systems and vehicle management procedures inside the tunnel. Only the landslide prevention work outside the tunnel remains,” Nepal said.
The project has also started preparations for toll collection. Vehicles using the Nagdhunga-Naubise tunnel will be able to pay toll fees through three methods: cash, QR code payment, and an automatic payment system using a special card attached to the vehicle.
The 2,688-meter-long Nagdhunga-Naubise tunnel will be operated 24 hours a day for five years. UJIN ART Company has received a contract worth Rs 1.10 billion for tunnel operation, maintenance, and management during the period.
The project was originally scheduled to be completed by April 26, 2023. However, delays caused by contractor issues, the COVID-19 pandemic, and local disruptions pushed the completion timeline by nearly three years. The tunnel was constructed with financial support from the Government of Japan, with the total project cost estimated at around Rs 23 billion.
Around 8,000 vehicles excluding two-wheelers currently travel through the Nagdhunga route every day. The project estimates that around 60 percent of vehicles may use the tunnel after its operation begins. The tunnel is expected to reduce traffic pressure on the Naubise-Nagdhunga road section.
Toll charges
The government has fixed toll charges for vehicles using the tunnel based on vehicle categories.
Cars and vans will have to pay Rs 65 while entering Kathmandu and Rs 60 while leaving Kathmandu through the tunnel.
Minibuses and mini trucks will be charged Rs 115 while entering Kathmandu and Rs 80 while exiting. Buses and trucks will pay Rs 260 and Rs 200, respectively. Heavy vehicles will have to pay Rs 600 while entering Kathmandu and Rs 250 while exiting.
The project expects that if around half of the vehicles use the tunnel, the operating expenses can be recovered.
Vehicles allowed in the tunnel
According to the Nagdhunga-Sisnekhola Tunnel Road Operation Directive, 2081, all types of vehicles will not be allowed inside the tunnel.
Two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and vehicles carrying petroleum products such as petrol and diesel tankers are prohibited. Vehicles carrying weapons, explosives, foul-smelling materials, rotten goods, and non-motorized vehicles are also not allowed, except those used by security agencies.
The directive states that vehicles longer than 18 meters, wider than 2.5 meters, or higher than 4.25 meters cannot enter the tunnel. The maximum speed limit inside the tunnel has been fixed at 60 kilometers per hour.
