Toll fees mandatory for vehicles using Nagdhunga tunnel from Sunday

KATHMANDU: Motor vehicles using the Nagdhunga tunnel to enter or exit the Kathmandu Valley will have to pay a road usage fee starting Sunday, according to the Nagdhunga Tunnel Construction Project.

The project issued a public notice on Thursday, notifying road users about the decision taken by the Road Board Nepal on Wednesday.

According to the notice, cars, vans, pickups, tractors, microbuses and other light vehicles will be charged Rs 65 when entering Kathmandu and Rs 60 when leaving the valley.

Similarly, minibuses and mini-tippers or trucks will have to pay Rs 115 when entering Kathmandu and Rs 80 when exiting, while buses and trucks will be charged Rs 260 for entering the valley and Rs 200 for exiting.

For multi-axle trucks and heavy equipment, the toll has been fixed at Rs 600 for entering Kathmandu and Rs 250 for exiting.

The Nagdhunga tunnel is Nepal’s first road tunnel, built to provide an alternative to the existing steep winding Nagdhunga–Naubise road section. It connects Sisnekhola in Dhading with Balambu in Kathmandu and is designed to reduce travel time, ease traffic congestion and improve road safety along the busy highway.