KATHMANDU: The main tunnel of the Siddhababa Tunnel – a national pride project – on the Siddhartha Highway has been excavated. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli virtually attended the breakthrough of the 1.125-kilometer main tunnel from his official residence in Baluwatar on Friday afternoon.
Deputy Prime Ministers Prakash Man Singh and Bishnu Paudel, Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Devendra Dahal, Chinese ambassador to Nepal Cheng Song and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.
The tunnel spans a landslide-prone area from the lower Siddhaba Temple to Dobhan in Palpa on the Butwal-Tansen section of Siddhartha Highway. Three bypass tunnels have also been constructed to allow emergency exits.
The tunnel is being built by China State Construction Engineering Corporation at a cost of Rs 734.21 million. It is scheduled for completion in 2026. Currently, 150 Chinese and Nepali workers are working daily at the site.
Upon completion, the tunnel will facilitate travel between Butwal and the mountain districts of Lumbini and Gandaki provinces, including Palpa, Gulmi, Syangja, Baglung and Parbat.
The project’s detailed project report (DPR) was prepared by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) in 2018.
