KATHMANDU: Nepal officially inaugurated its first modern road tunnel on Monday, marking a major milestone in the country's transport infrastructure after more than six years of construction.
The Nagdhunga-Sisnekhola Tunnel was inaugurated by Infrastructure Development Minister Sunil Lamsal, alongside Japanese Ambassador Maeda Toru and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) President Tanaka Akihiko.
The tunnel will initially be open only to emergency vehicles, with ambulances, fire engines and security vehicles granted access on the first day of operations, according to Nagdhunga Tunnel Construction Project director Saujanya Nepal.
Authorities have set toll charges for vehicles using the tunnel. Pedestrians, motorcycles, three-wheelers and non-motorised vehicles are prohibited from entering.
Vehicles carrying highly flammable materials, including diesel, petrol and gas, as well as explosives, are also banned for safety reasons.
To support electronic toll collection, authorities have introduced N-Tags using radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology. The tags are currently available with prepaid values of Rs1,000, Rs2,000 and Rs5,000.
The tunnel will be operated and managed by the Yusin-ART Joint Venture for the next five years, while Japan's Hazama Ando Corporation will oversee maintenance during the first year under a separate agreement.
The project was financed through approximately Rs21.5 billion in concessional loans from Japan, with an additional Rs6 billion contributed by the Nepal government.
The Nagdhunga-Sisnekhola Tunnel enters service 80 months after construction began, becoming Nepal's first operational road tunnel and a landmark project in the country's transport network. - Kathmandu Post
