The under-construction Siddhababa tunnel along the Siddhartha Highway has achieved a breakthrough at the Dobhan-Siddhababa area of Tinau Rural Municipality-3 in Palpa district, bringing respite to the travellers plagued by frequent landslides in the area. Despite this significant milestone, the completion of the national pride project is likely to take at least a year under a contract agreement with a Chinese company.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli announced the breakthrough of the tunnel in a virtual address on Friday. PM Oli was scheduled to announce the breakthrough at the project site but made the virtual announcement due to his health issues.

Deputy Prime Minister and Urban Development Minister Prakash Man Singh, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel, Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Devendra Dahal, Secretary at the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport Keshav Kumar Sharma, among others, were present at the breakthrough program.

Prime Minister Oli said the tunnel project was initiated as many citizens had to suffer and lose their lives due to frequent landslides in the area. “We had put forward a plan to make the road safer through a tunnel route. Today, the Siddhababa Tunnel route has achieved a breakthrough,” the prime minister said in a Facebook post. “Once this tunnel route comes into operation, it will now be convenient to go to Pyuthan Syangja, Kaski, Gulmi and the northern part of Arghakhanchi via Palpa. This road also connects to the Kaligandaki Corridor.”

According to the Siddhababa Tunnel Project Office, physical progress has reached 40.18 percent and financial progress has reached 39.90 percent at the time of breakthrough. The project has spent approximately Rs 3 billion on the construction of the tunnel so far.

Project Chief Krishna Raj Adhikari confirmed that the construction of the tunnel which is 1,089-meter-long, 10.5 meters wide with double lanes and 7 meters high has been completed under the project. Prior to the breakthrough, the project had dug a total of 1,087 meters of the tunnel from both ends, including 480 meters from the north and 607 meters from the south.

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel said the Kohire Bhir of Siddhababa, which has claimed many lives due to landslides not only during the rainy season but also during the winter days, has troubled locals there for years. “We discussed many options to make this extremely unsafe road safe. After a detailed study with expert technicians from home and abroad, we finally reached the decision to build a tunnel,” he said.

Finance Minster Paudel also recalled that many had insisted that the tunnel in the Kohire Bhir would not be successful. “They accused us of trying to waste the budget. But we continued our campaign to change the path of death into the path of life without wavering. As a result, today we have reached the important moment of the breakthrough celebration of this tunnel,” he said.

According to the project officials, it will still take a year for vehicles to ply through the tunnel. Project Chief Adhikari said that three emergency exits including a 151-meter first escape passage, a 161-meter second escape passage, and a 130-meter third escape passage have also been constructed to rescue passengers in case of emergency.

There are also plans to build helipads on the north and south sides of the tunnel. The project is currently gaining momentum, with 150 workers assigned to it. The deadline for the project is set for March 27, 2027.

According to the Project Chief Adhikari, a 2,395 meters long and 9.9 meters wide access road to the tunnel will also be built from Chidiya Khola to Dobhan. Retention walls and rock sheds will also be built to prevent landslides and rocks falling onto the road from the cliff. He said that this is the first time rock sheds are being constructed in Nepal.

The lining and ventilation work is still pending. According to Sabita Gyawali, an engineer and information officer for the Siddhababa Tunnel Project, works including concreting the walls, waterproofing, road construction, leveling the tunnel slope, ventilation, lining, lighting, oxygen, safety measures, and installation of fire extinguishers are still pending.

The government had signed a contract agreement worth Rs 7.342 billion with China State Construction Engineering Corporation for this project on February 17, 2022. As per the agreement, the construction company must complete the project within five years.

The terms and conditions of the contract mention that the construction company will be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the tunnel for five years after its completion. Once the tunnel is completed and brought into operation, this national pride project will benefit the residents of Palpa, Rupandehi, Gulmi, Arghakhanchi, Rupandehi, Syangja, Pokhara, Baglung, Mustang and other areas of Lumbini and Gandaki Province and ensure their safety.