Skip to main content

Japan to fund Nepal tunnel

A new road tunnel in Nepal will provide a key transport link from the country’s capital, Kathmandu. The 2.5km tunnel will be Nepal’s first and should help cut traffic congestion in the Thankot Pass, which lies to the west of the capital.
September 8, 2016 Read time: 1 min

A new road tunnel in Nepal will provide a key transport link from the country’s capital, Kathmandu. The 2.5km tunnel will be Nepal’s first and should help cut traffic congestion in the Thankot Pass, which lies to the west of the capital. Much of the funding for the project is coming from the 2416 Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which is providing US$157 million to help construct the tunnel. The new link will cut journey times from Nagdhunga-Thankot, improving transport for drivers travelling towards or away from Kathmandu. The tunnel will provide a new, shorter route for the busy Prithvi and Tribhuvan Highways. The project will also boost safety for drivers as the existing route features steep gradients and sharp switchbacks in the area around Naubise. Because of the risk of earthquakes in Nepal the new tunnel will have to be constructed to high standards, while the terrain could also present challenges to the project. The most suitable tunnelling methods for the project have yet to be revealed.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • State-of-the art road tunnels in construction and use of ITS
    April 25, 2013
    A wealth of major road tunnel construction projects and significant cant ITS installations within existing key road tunnels have been recently completed or will soon be underway. Guy Woodford examines some of them. A state-of-the art Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) - the 10th largest ever to be built worldwide will be put to work later this year on New Zealand Transport Agency’s landmark Waterview Connection project in Auckland. The giant Herrenknecht-manufactured machine will be used to construct the twin 2.5
  • A new tolled highway brings change for Austin, Texas
    February 10, 2020
    A new highway section in Austin, Texas marks a major departure for the southern US city
  • Further development for Morocco infrastructure
    August 26, 2016
    Further infrastructure development is planned for Morocco. The authorities in the town of Salé are planning an urban development programme, with new and wider roads seen as a key portion of the work. Salé lies immediately to the north of Morocco’s capital Rabat and is home to many commuters working in the capital. Improving the transport links in the area will help develop the local economy and the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Finances have set a budget of over US$516 million for the work. T
  • Stonehenge tunnel going ahead?
    September 12, 2017
    The preferred route has been announced for a new road and tunnel link on the A303 route in the UK that will bypass the famous Stonehenge stone circle. The project now finally looks as if it might go ahead after years of debate, although several hurdles have yet to be passed. The work calls for the construction of a new 13km dual carriageway link and includes a 2.6km stretch of tunnel. The new route will be located further away from Stonehenge and the tunnel is being built