Nagdhunga-Naubise Tunnel to Open for Traffic in July

Kathmandu. Preparations are underway to bring vehicles into operation from the Nagdhunga-Naubise tunnel from the month of Shrawan. It is expected that vehicle movement on the Naubise-Nagdhunga road section will become easier once Nepal's much-awaited tunnel highway project becomes operational. Soujanya Nepal, Project Director of the Nagdhunga Tunnel Construction Project, informed that internal preparations are being made to operate the Nagdhunga tunnel by the upcoming Shrawan. "All the work inside the tunnel has been completed. Work is underway for necessary testing on how to rescue and manage vehicles in case of any emergency inside the tunnel," he said, "Only the landslide prevention work outside the tunnel remains." The Nagdhunga-Naubise tunnel has a total length of two thousand six hundred and eighty-eight meters. According to the initial contract agreement, this project was supposed to be completed by April 26, 2023. The construction work of this project could not gain momentum due to the contractor company's delay and obstruction by local residents. According to the project, practice of operation and management of the tunnel is currently ongoing. Project Director Nepal claimed that the process of selecting a bank for collecting the toll to be paid for using the Nagdhunga-Naubise tunnel and printing cards has also moved forward. The project has arranged for toll payment in three ways from vehicles plying the Nagdhunga-Naubise tunnel. Arrangements have been made to collect cash from vehicle drivers manually, by scanning QR codes, and by reading stickers affixed to vehicles through high-capacity cameras. Yusin ART Company has obtained the responsibility for the operation, management, and maintenance of the tunnel for five years at a cost of Rs 1.10 billion through a tender. Project Director Nepal stated that the toll collected from vehicles using the tunnel must be collected by the operator and deposited into the account of the Road Board Nepal. Ten companies had applied for the tender. The company will operate 24 hours a day for 365 days. "150 personnel will be deployed for tunnel management and operation," he said, "When the tunnel becomes fully operational, 40 employees will be deployed at once during the afternoon peak hour." Internal preparation work is currently underway inside the tunnel. We aim to operate vehicles through the tunnel after completing all preparations by the month of Asar. According to the project, an average of more than eight thousand small and large vehicles, excluding two-wheelers, ply daily on the Nagdhunga-Naubise section entering and exiting Kathmandu. Project Director Nepal informed that it is estimated that about 60 percent of the vehicles entering and exiting the Nagdhunga-Naubise road section will use the tunnel. According to the project, two-wheeled vehicles will not be allowed to operate through this tunnel. Tunnel Toll for Vehicles The government determined the fee for operating vehicles in the Nagdhunga-Naubise tunnel by publishing a notice in the gazette on April 9, 2025. The government has set separate tolls for vehicles using the tunnel according to their capacity. For cars, vans, pickups, tractors, minibuses, and other light vehicles, the toll is set at Rs 65 for entering Kathmandu and Rs 60 for departing from Kathmandu. Similarly, for minibuses and mini tipper-trucks, the toll is set at Rs 125 for entering Kathmandu and Rs 80 for departing from Kathmandu. For buses and trucks (single rear axle) vehicles, the toll is set at Rs 260 for entering Kathmandu. For the same vehicles departing from Kathmandu, the toll is set at Rs 200. For multi-axle trucks, vehicles, and heavy equipment, the toll for entering Kathmandu is set at Rs 600. Similarly, for the same category of vehicles departing from Kathmandu, the toll is set at Rs 250.