Vehicles ride through the newly inaugurated Nagdhunga tunnel, Nepal's first modern road tunnel, on the outskirts of Kathmandu on July 27, 2026. (Photo by Prakash MATHEMA / AFP)
Kathmandu, Nepal: Nepal's first-ever highway tunnel was formally inaugurated on Monday, marking a major milestone in its transport infrastructure development.
The 2.68-km tunnel section of the busy Prithvi Highway at Nagdhunga, the main gateway to the Kathmandu Valley, is expected to reduce travel time by 20 to 30 minutes. Currently, vehicles must navigate a winding mountain road through the Nagdhunga section to enter Kathmandu, making the journey slow and time-consuming.
Sunil Lamsal, Nepal's infrastructure development minister, inaugurated the tunnel at a ceremony on Monday.
"We will now build tunnels like this throughout the country. This tunnel has taught us many lessons, and Nepal has entered the tunnel era," Lamsal said.
People gather outside the newly inaugurated Nagdhunga tunnel, Nepal痴 first modern road tunnel, on the outskirts of Kathmandu on July 27, 2026. (Photo by Prakash MATHEMA / AFP)
Another major tunnel project, the Siddhababa Tunnel, is still under construction in western Palpa district.
Meanwhile, the government has been conducting feasibility studies for around two dozen additional road tunnel projects across the country, according to the Department of Roads.
While the tunnel was formally opened on Monday, it will not initially be accessible to all vehicles. Only emergency vehicles, including ambulances, fire engines and security force vehicles, will be allowed to use the tunnel initially, according to the Nagdhunga Tunnel Project Office.
After that, the government plans to gradually open the tunnel to other vehicles. The project office plans to operate the tunnel in a testing phase for three months before allowing regular operation for all types of vehicles.
According to the project office, the total cost of the project reached approximately 24 billion Nepali rupees (about 155 million U.S. dollars).
