Nepal’s first road tunnel, the Nagdhunga-Sisnekhola passage, was inaugurated on Monday after six years of construction, marking the country’s formal entry into the tunnel era. The 2.68-kilometre structure eliminates the accident-prone Nagdhunga road section and reduces travel time on the Kathmandu-Pokhara-India corridor.
The project was initially estimated at approximately Rs 22 billion when the foundation stone was laid in Kartik 2076. Geological complications, design modifications, and technical challenges during excavation pushed the final cost beyond Rs 27 billion, representing a cost overrun of roughly 23 percent. Engineers have designated the tunnel with a 100-year design life.
The Department of Roads has established toll rates for the tunnel. Cars and vans will pay Rs 65 when entering Kathmandu and Rs 60 when exiting. Minibuses, trucks, and tippers face charges of Rs 115 inbound and Rs 80 outbound. Buses and large trucks will pay Rs 260 entering the capital and Rs 200 leaving. Motorcycles, two-wheelers, three-wheelers, pedestrians, and vehicles carrying flammable or explosive materials are prohibited from using the passage.
Transport entrepreneurs have protested the fee structure, demanding a reconsideration of rates for public passenger and freight vehicles. They argue that the tolls will add fixed costs to every commercial journey between Kathmandu and the western Tarai or India, expenses that will inevitably be passed on to consumers. Officials counter that the tunnel requires 24-hour technical staffing to maintain air quality, security, and monitoring systems, making operational costs comparatively high.
The facility remains in a final technical trial phase and will not collect tolls until fully opened to all vehicle categories. The government plans to bring the 900-metre Siddhababa tunnel into operation within the current fiscal year. Six additional tunnel projects are currently under construction, including the Kathmandu-Tarai Fast Track. Officials have suggested that a unified management system for multiple tunnels could reduce per-unit operating costs once the network expands.
The tunnel’s success will ultimately depend on maintenance discipline rather than engineering alone. Continuous ventilation, fire suppression readiness, structural monitoring, and rapid emergency response capabilities will require sustained institutional attention long after the inaugural ceremonies conclude.