PALPA: The 126-meter main tunnel of the Siddhababa Tunnel, a national pride project along the Siddhartha Highway, was successfully broken through on Friday.
This milestone follows the earlier completion of all three bypass tunnels, marking significant progress in the much-anticipated project aimed at addressing landslide risks on the Butwal-Palpa road section.
The Siddhababa Tunnel, located in Dobhan, Tinau Rural Municipality-3, Palpa, has been under construction since March 2023. Despite facing challenges such as a four-month delay caused by landslides during the rainy season of 2024, the project regained momentum over the past year.
The China State Construction Engineering Corporation is constructing the 1,126-meter-long tunnel at a cost of Rs 7.34 billion.
The breakthrough of the main tunnel is expected to bring substantial relief to travelers frequently affected by landslides in the three-kilometer stretch from Lower Siddhababa in Butwal to Dobhan Chowki in Palpa. T
he project is anticipated to enhance connectivity and ease movement to districts such as Palpa, Gulmi, Syangja, Rupandehi, Arghakhanchi, and Baglung.
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, addressing the event virtually from Baluwatar, hailed the breakthrough as a significant achievement for Nepal’s infrastructure development.
“This tunnel will provide safety and convenience to travelers, ending the era of fear caused by landslides and accidents,” he said. Oli also emphasized the government’s commitment to development and good governance, citing the breakthrough as evidence of progress.
Other dignitaries present at the event included Deputy Prime Ministers Prakash Man Singh and Bishnu Prasad Paudel, Minister for Physical Transport and Infrastructure Devendra Dahal, Lumbini Province Chief Minister Chet Narayan Acharya, and Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song.
The Siddhababa Tunnel follows the successful completion of the Thankot-Nagdhunga tunnel, marking Nepal’s entry into the “tunnel era.”
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