Nepal inaugurates first modern road tunnel after six years of construction

Nepal has officially opened its first modern road tunnel, the Nagdhunga-Sisnekhola Tunnel, marking a significant infrastructure milestone after over six years of construction. The inauguration ceremony was attended by Infrastructure Development Minister Sunil Lamsal, Japanese Ambassador Maeda Toru, and Tanaka Akihiko, president of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Initially, the tunnel will be accessible only to emergency vehicles such as ambulances, fire engines, and security vehicles. Authorities have established toll charges for its use and have prohibited pedestrians, two-wheelers, three-wheelers, non-motorized vehicles, and vehicles carrying highly flammable materials or explosives from entering. To streamline payments, N-Tags utilizing RFID technology have been introduced, with options to purchase tags pre-loaded with cash.

The tunnel's operation and management will be handled by the Yusin-ART Joint Venture for five years, while Japan’s Hazama Ando Corporation will oversee maintenance for the first year. The project, which began construction 80 months ago, was funded by approximately 21.5 billion Nepali rupees in concessional loans from Japan and 6 billion rupees from the Nepal government.

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ambulances, fire engines and security vehicles will be allowed to use the tunnel on the first day of operation.