The Nagdhunga–Sisnekhola tunnel is set to come into operation within a few months after the government signed an agreement with a service provider for its management and operation.

On Wednesday, the government signed a contract with Yusin–ART JV, a China-Nepal joint venture, to operate, manage and maintain the tunnel for five years.

Authorities have already fixed toll rates for vehicles using the tunnel.

Project director Saujanya Nepal said the tunnel can be brought into operation once the service provider completes training and prepares the required workforce. The responsibility for human resource preparation lies with the service provider.

“The tunnel must come into operation within three months from the date of agreement,” Nepal said. “The company will carry out internal preparations before deploying trained personnel in the field.”

The service provider is required to complete training within the three-month period. Around 150 personnel will be trained for tunnel operations. Nepal said the training is essential as the tunnel will operate round the clock.

“As the tunnel will run 24 hours a day, staff must be fully trained before deployment, so it will take some time,” he said.

The training will involve officials from the Department of Roads, project staff, consultants and technical teams from the construction company. Practical sessions on project operations will be conducted along the stretch from the flyover at Kisipidi in Kathmandu to the tunnel exit towards Dhading.

Officials said trial operations will begin before the full-scale opening.

“We are preparing to see if the tunnel can be operated during the monsoon,” Nepal said.

The project office said landslide management works on the Dhading side and construction of the toll plaza are in the final stage.

Under the agreement, the selected company will be responsible for maintenance, traffic management, emergency rescue, toll collection and oversight of the 2.8-kilometre access road connecting Kathmandu and Dhading.

The service provider must ensure 24-hour operation and deposit the collected toll revenue daily into the Roads Board Nepal account.

The project has reached 98 percent completion, according to officials. Construction began on October 21, 2019, with an initial target of completion within 42 months. Delays were caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and protests by local residents.

The project estimates that travel from Sisnekhola to Balambhu via the existing Nagdhunga road currently takes around 33 minutes uphill and 23 minutes downhill. Once the tunnel becomes operational, the same journey is expected to take about seven minutes.

The access road from Kisipidi, Balambhu, to the tunnel entrance at Tutipakha, spanning 2.307 kilometres, has been built as a two-lane road.

The main tunnel is 2,688 metres long, with a parallel emergency tunnel measuring 2,557 metres. The total project cost stands at Rs22 billion, including a Rs16 billion concessional loan from Japan and Rs6 billion from the Government of Nepal. The construction contract was awarded to Hazama Ando Corporation of Japan.

Authorities said the tunnel is expected to significantly reduce traffic congestion along the Nagdhunga section and ease daily travel for commuters once it comes into operation.