Nepal’s first road tunnel inaugurated after over six years of construction
Summary
Nepal's first modern road tunnel, the Nagdhunga-Sisnekhola Tunnel, has been inaugurated and opened initially for emergency vehicles with electronic toll payments introduced through N-Tags.
Key Points
- Nepal’s first modern road tunnel, the Nagdhunga-Sisnekhola Tunnel, has officially opened for operation.
- The tunnel was inaugurated by Infrastructure Development Minister Sunil Lamsal, Japanese Ambassador Maeda Toru, and JICA president Tanaka Akihiko.
- Initially, only emergency vehicles like ambulances, fire engines, and security vehicles will use the tunnel.
- The tunnel is financed with Rs21.5 billion in concessional loans from Japan and Rs6 billion from the Nepal government and will involve operations and maintenance by Japanese companies for the initial years.
