Kathmandu-Tarai Fast Track: Ghattepakha-Dhedre tunnel breakthrough

On Monday, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli celebrated a significant milestone for the Kathmandu-Tarai/Madhes Fast Track project, marking the completion of the Ghattepakha-Dhedre Tunnel breakthrough. This expressway is a crucial project for the nation, signifying both pride and strategic importance.

The ceremony took place at Dhedre in Bakaiya Rural Municipality-12, highlighting the 1.728-kilometer tunnel’s completion. This follows the earlier completion of a 1.653-kilometer tunnel segment towards Nijgadh-Kathmandu. With these milestones, the tunnels under package 11 are now fully opened. Prime Minister Oli officially marked the occasion by activating a switch to signify the tunnel’s breakthrough.

The Nepali Army is overseeing the implementation of this project. During the event, Chief of the Army Staff, Prabhu Ram Sharma, briefed the Prime Minister on the progress and challenges faced. He noted that the project is 35.98 percent complete.

Progress has also been made on other tunnel sections. The 1.612-kilometer Lendanda tunnel towards Nijgadh-Kathmandu and the 1.633-kilometer tunnel towards Kathmandu-Nijgadh are both finished. The Mahadevtar Tunnel, measuring 3.322 kilometers towards Nijgadh-Kathmandu, has reached 2.29 kilometers in completion, while the 3.386-kilometer segment towards Kathmandu-Nijgadh is at 2.88 kilometers. Both tracks are expected to open within a year.

The fast track project is divided into 13 packages. Of the 89 bridges planned, 85 are in various stages of construction. However, progress on the remaining four bridges, located in Khokana, Lalitpur, is delayed due to land acquisition issues.

The Nepali Army aims to complete the expressway by mid-April 2027. The road will stretch 70.977 kilometers from Khokana, Lalitpur to Nijgadh, Bara, with widths of 25 meters in hilly areas and 27 meters in the Tarai. Six tunnels totaling 10.399 kilometers will be built, including:

• Devichaur: 1 km
• Sisautar: 0.39 km
• Chandram Bhir: 2.25 km
• Mahadevdanda: 3.355 km
• Dhedre: 1.691 km
• Lendanda: 1.623 km

Additionally, 89 bridges covering 12.885 kilometers will be constructed. The project will also feature rest stops in Budune and interchanges and toll plazas in Khokana, Budune, and Nijgadh.

On 4 May 2017, the Council of Ministers assigned the construction management responsibility to the Nepali Army. The foundation stone was laid by then Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on 28 May 2017, in Nijgadh. The project transitioned from the Road Department to the Nepali Army on 11 Aug 2017.

The event was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel, Physical Infrastructure and Transport Minister Devendra Dahal, Defence Minister Manveer Rai, Forest and Environment Minister Ain Bahadur Shahi, and the Ambassadors of China and South Korea to Nepal.