PALPA: The invert construction of the Siddhababa Tunnel, a project of national pride, has been completed, Engineer Sabita Gyawali of the Tunnel Project Office said.
The invert construction of the main tunnel, measuring 1,089 meters, was finished recently.
She said, “The invert work was completed on Wednesday, and we are now progressing with the lining. So far, 834 meters of lining work has been done.”
The overall physical progress of the tunnel, located in Tinau Rural Municipality-3, Palpa, along the Siddhartha Highway, has reached 56.3 percent, while financial progress stands at 50.24 percent. The project gained significant momentum following the tunnel’s breakthrough.
The 1,126-meter tunnel connects the Upper Siddhababa Temple on the Butwal-Tansen section of the Siddhartha Highway.
Construction began in 2079 BS and was carried out by the China State Construction Engineering Corporation at a cost of Rs. 7.34 billion (including Rs. 2.14 billion allocated for additional expenses). The project is expected to be completed by 2083 BS, marking five years of work.
This section of the highway, from the Lower Siddhababa Temple to Dobhan in Palpa, is highly prone to landslides and dust, even during the dry season.
The tunnel aims to ensure safer passage through this hazardous stretch. Vehicles from Gulmi, Palpa, Arghakhanchi, Syangja, Pokhara, Baglung, and Myagdi regularly use this route.
For the upcoming fiscal year, the government has allocated Rs. 2.6 billion for the completion of the Siddhababa Tunnel and the Nagdhunga Tunnel, both under construction in the Palpa-Siddhababa Temple area.
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