The Siddhababa Tunnel’s construction is anticipated to improve traffic safety in Palpa

The Dobhan-Siddhababa section of Tinau Rural Municipality-3 in Palpa district has seen a breakthrough in the Siddhartha Highway’s under-construction Siddhababa tunnel, providing relief to travelers who have been hampered by the region’s frequent landslides. The national pride project is expected to take at least a year to complete under a contract with a Chinese company, notwithstanding this noteworthy milestone.

In a virtual speech Friday, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli declared the tunnel’s breakthrough. Due to his health concerns, PM Oli made the announcement virtually instead of in person at the project site, where he was supposed to make the news.

Among those in attendance at the groundbreaking program were Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel, Deputy Prime Minister and Urban Development Minister Prakash Man Singh, Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Devendra Dahal, and Secretary at the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport Keshav Kumar Sharma.

According to Prime Minister Oli, the tunnel project was started because the area’s periodic landslides caused suffering and fatalities for many residents. We had proposed a tunnel path as a safer alternative to the current road. The prime minister wrote on Facebook, “Today, the Siddhababa Tunnel route has achieved a breakthrough.” It will now be convenient to go via Palpa to Pyuthan Syangja, Kaski, Gulmi, and the northern portion of Arghakhanchi once this tunnel route is operational. Additionally, this route links to the Kaligandaki Corridor.

At the time of breakthrough, the Siddhababa Tunnel Project Office reports that financial progress had reached 39.90 percent and physical development had reached 40.18 percent. The tunnel’s construction has so far cost the project about Rs 3 billion.

The tunnel, which is 1,089 meters long, 10.5 meters wide with double lanes, and 7 meters high, has been finished under the project, according to confirmation from project chief Krishna Raj Adhikari. The project had excavated 1,087 meters of the tunnel from both ends—480 meters from the north and 607 meters from the south—before the discovery.

The Kohire Bhir of Siddhababa has been causing problems for the inhabitants for years, according to Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel. Landslides have killed numerous people there both during the rainy season and throughout the winter. “We spoke about a lot of ways to make this really dangerous road safe. We ultimately decided to construct a tunnel after conducting a thorough analysis with knowledgeable professionals both domestically and overseas,” he said.

Paudel, the minister of finance, added that many had argued that the Kohire Bhir tunnel would fail. They said we were attempting to squander the funds. However, we persisted unwaveringly in our mission to turn the path of death into the path of life. Consequently, we have arrived at the significant milestone of this tunnel’s breakthrough celebration today,” he stated.

Vehicle traffic via the tunnel will still take a year, according to project authorities. Three emergency exits, including a 151-meter first escape passage, a 161-meter second escape passage, and a 130-meter third escape channel, have also been built to rescue passengers in the event of an emergency, according to Project Chief Adhikari.

Additionally, helipads are to be constructed on the tunnel’s north and south sides. 150 personnel have been allocated to the project, which is rapidly gaining momentum. The project is scheduled to be completed by March 27, 2027.

A 2,395-meter-long and 9.9-meter-wide access road from Chidiya Khola to Dobhan will also be constructed, according to Project Chief Adhikari. To stop landslides and rocks from tumbling off the cliff onto the road, retention walls and rock sheds will also be constructed. According to him, Nepal is building rock sheds for the first time.

There is still work to be done on the ventilation and lining. Road construction, leveling the tunnel slope, concrete wall construction, waterproofing, ventilation, lining, lighting, oxygen, safety precautions, and fire extinguisher installation are among the unfinished tasks, according to Sabita Gyawali, an engineer and information officer for the Siddhababa Tunnel Project.

On February 17, 2022, the government and China State Construction Engineering Corporation inked a contract of Rs 7.342 billion for this project. The construction company is required by the agreement to finish the project in five years.

According to the contract’s terms and conditions, the construction company will be in charge of the tunnel’s upkeep and operation for five years following its completion. Residents of Palpa, Rupandehi, Gulmi, Arghakhanchi, Syangja, Pokhara, Baglung, Mustang, and other places of Lumbini and Gandaki Province will profit from this national pride project and be safe once the tunnel is finished and operational.