The Siddhababa Tunnel on the Siddhartha Highway in Palpa requires only 7.8 metres more excavation, according to the Siddhababa Tunnel Project Office. Of this, 1.5 metres will be left for the ‘breakthrough,’ which is planned to take place in the presence of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli later this month.

“Initially, we aimed for the breakthrough on January 15 but due to scheduling conflicts, we are now planning it for January 21, barring unforeseen complications,” said Prabhat Kumar Jha, director of the Quality Research and Development Centre under the Department of Road. The project had initially announced the breakthrough by the end of December, but delays have caused a shift in the timeline.

Three cross-passages, designed as emergency exits, have already been completed, covering a total distance of 441 metres. The main tunnel spans 1,126 metres.

The tunnel starts near Siddhababa Temple and exits near Tinau Hydropower in Palpa. It was initiated as an alternative to the landslide-prone 4 km stretch of the Siddhartha Highway, which has seen frequent accidents. The contract for the tunnel’s construction was signed in March 2022, with a five-year deadline for completion.

To date, the project has achieved 38.85% progress. The China State Construction Engineering Corporation was awarded the contract for Rs7.34 billion, with a completion deadline set for March 2027. But delays due to issues like tree felling have prompted the contractor to request a nine-month extension, which is yet to be decided.