Siddhababa Tunnel Project Physical Progress Reaches 68%

Kathmandu. The physical progress of the under-construction Siddhababa Tunnel Project has reached 68 percent. According to the project, the financial progress so far is 58 percent. The work is being carried out in the 'Engineering Procurement and Construction' (EPC) model with the complete responsibility of design, approval, and construction resting with the construction entrepreneur within the five-year construction period (60 months) stipulated for this project. The relevant contractor company will be responsible for its operation, maintenance, and security for the next five years after the construction is completed. The project has stated that the subsequent additional five years will be as 'Defect Liability Period' (DLP). According to Project Chief Rajesh Poudel, work is being expedited to bring the tunnel into operation by September. The project initially faced some legal and technical complexities. As this is a new practice of the EPC model in Nepal, the project's pace was somewhat affected by documentation problems, delays in tree cutting permits, and difficulties in budget management. However, Poudel informed that these problems are currently in the process of being resolved, and the process for extension of time (EOT) and milestone adjustment is in the final stage. Approval has also been received for carrying out 'rigid pavement' on the approach roads (Main Road 1 and 2) along with the tunnel. After the operation of traffic through the tunnel, 'rock shed' and 'slope protection' works will be carried out in the risky areas outside. The plan is to use the path within the rock shed for pedestrians and manage drinking water from the outside. Although the initial cost estimate for this project was around 10 billion rupees, it was contracted for around 7 billion rupees through a competitive bidding process. The main objective of this tunnel is to prevent loss of life and property from landslide risks in this very risky section of the Siddhartha Highway and ensure safe travel, rather than shortening the travel distance, the project has clarified.