The completion ceremony for the Nagdhunga Tunnel – Nepal’s first mountain road tunnel – was held yesterday.
The 2.68km-long tunnel, which connects Kathmandu and Nepal’s second largest city, Pokhara, is designed to improve mobility in the Himalayan mountain terrain.
During construction the project faced several major challenges, including unforeseen ground conditions and a large-scale slope failure on the western side caused by heavy rainfall.
The project was funded by a Y22.3bn (€120m) official development assistance loan from Japan.
The completion ceremony was attended by Japan’s ambassador to Nepal, Toru Maeda; Nepal’s minister of infrastructure development, Sunil Lamsal; and the president of the Japan International Co-operation Agency, Akihiko Tanaka.
Ambassador Maeda said the completion of the Nagdhunga Tunnel was a milestone in Nepal’s infrastructure history.
“I extend my heartfelt congratulations on this historic day to everyone who has made an enormous contribution to this project, and to the people of Nepal who will soon be receiving economic and social benefits from this tunnel,” he said.
“During construction, the project faced extraordinary challenges – including significant ground movement caused by the ever-active geology of the Himalayas, as well as severe slope failures near the western portal brought on by heavy rainfall. Time and again, these obstacles tested the limits of what was thought possible. Nevertheless, the challenges were overcome one by one, drawing on the expertise accumulated in Japan through constructing more than 15,000 tunnels across the country, and working hand in hand with Nepali engineers and workers.”
