Construction of the Siddhababa Tunnel—a national pride project along the strategically important Siddhartha Highway—has achieved 54 percent physical progress and is expected to be ready for vehicular use within a year. Located on the landslide-prone Butwal–Tansen section, the tunnel aims to enhance road safety and ensure uninterrupted travel through one of the region’s most critical transport corridors. The project has gained fresh momentum following the government’s renewed budget commitment.

The government has allocated Rs 2.6 billion in the fiscal year 2025/26 for the Siddhababa and Nagdhunga tunnels. This funding is expected to ensure steady progress on projects that had earlier faced uncertainty due to financial constraints, the state-owned national news agency RSS reported.

“This section of the Siddhartha Highway, particularly from the lower Siddhababa temple to Dovan in Palpa, is considered highly vulnerable to landslides—even during the dry season,” RSS quoted the project’s Engineer Sabita Gyawali as saying. “The tunnel is critical to ensuring uninterrupted transport between key districts such as Palpa, Gulmi, Arghakhanchi, Syangja, Pokhara, Baglung, and Myagdi.”

The construction of the 1,126-meter-long tunnel, which began in 2022, is being built by China State Construction Engineering Corporation under a contract worth Rs 7.34 billion. The main tunnel breakthrough has already been achieved, and the project is scheduled for completion by 2026.

Following the breakthrough, tunnel work has picked up pace. According to Engineer Gyawali, construction of the invert —the bottom portion of the tunnel—has been completed on 990 meters out of 1,089 meters. Similarly, lining —the internal concrete wall that reinforces the tunnel—has been completed on 660 meters out of a planned 1,126 meters.

Work is also advancing in the tunnel’s bypass sections. In Bypass-1, 145 meters of invert work has been completed out of 151 meters, while 118 meters of lining has also been finished. In Bypass-2, which is 161 meters long, invert and lining work is yet to begin. In Bypass-3, 36 meters of invert work has been completed out of 130 meters, but lining work has not yet started.

Additional tasks such as road surfacing inside the tunnel, drainage construction, wall concreting, ventilation setup, electrical installation, oxygen flow systems, and fire safety mechanisms are also planned. Helipads will be constructed at both the northern and southern ends of the tunnel for emergency access.

Local residents have welcomed the progress. “We were worried the economic slowdown would lead to funding cuts, but the government has given this project priority, which gives us confidence,” RSS quoted Govinda Pokharel as saying. Another local, Gambhir Rayamajhi, added, “Many infrastructure projects are stalled due to lack of funding. It’s reassuring that the Siddhababa Tunnel is moving ahead and expected to ease travel through this risky stretch.”