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The Siddhababa Tunnel along the Butwal-Palpa section of the Siddhartha Highway is targeted for trial operation by mid-November, but with only 70 percent of the project completed so far, questions remain over whether the deadline can be met.

The tunnel is being constructed in the Upper Siddhababa area to provide a safer alternative through one of the most landslide-prone sections of the highway. The project office says road construction and other civil works inside the tunnel have been completed, while several key electromechanical and safety installations are still pending.

Project Chief Nawaraj Bastola said around 70 percent of the overall work had been completed and that trial operation could begin by mid-November if equipment being brought from China arrives on time.

Paving inside the tunnel has been completed and painting is underway. Finishing work on the technical building is also in progress, while floor and wall lining work is nearing completion.

However, major electromechanical works - including installation of firefighting systems, CCTV cameras, electric lights and ventilation equipment - are yet to be completed, Bastola said.

The delivery of equipment from China has been delayed due to the monsoon. “The truck carrying the equipment is currently at the customs office. If the items arrive on time, the tunnel can be brought into trial operation by mid-November,” Bastola said.

He added that construction work had been halted at several points because of natural and technical challenges.

Safety improvement works outside the tunnel will begin after the internal works are completed. These works include construction of rock sheds, rockfall protection structures, barriers and slope protection measures to reduce the risk of landslides around the tunnel.

The tunnel is being constructed by China State Construction Engineering Corporation under an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract. The main tunnel is 1,126 meters long.

The breakthrough of the main tunnel was achieved on January 24, 2025. The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation prepared the feasibility study and detailed project report in 2075 BS. An international bidding process was launched on May 15, 2021, and a contract worth Rs 7.34 billion was signed with China State Construction Engineering Corporation on March 9, 2022.

Construction began a year later. Located at Dobhan Siddhababa in Tinau Rural Municipality-3 of Palpa, the tunnel is 1,126 meters long and designed as a two-lane tunnel.

After completion, the construction company will be responsible for the tunnel’s operation, maintenance and safety management for five years. The project is expected to make travel through the Siddhababa section safer, particularly during the monsoon when the area remains highly vulnerable to landslides, falling rocks and debris flows.

The project’s official completion date is March 2027, but authorities are now aiming to bring the main tunnel into trial operation several months earlier.

By Rekha Bhusal