At Dhedre in ward 12 of Bakaiya Rural Municipality in Makawanpur, 31 km from Kathmandu, an 82-metre-high bridge stands tall at the tunnel entrance, drawing immediate attention.

Similarly, at Lendanda in ward 1 of Makawanpurgadhi Rural Municipality-1, two parallel 82-metre bridges mark the entrance of another tunnel—one completed, the other in its final stages.

Both tunnels, Dhedre (1,691 metres) and Lendanda (1,623 metres), are part of the Kathmandu–Tarai/Madhesh Fast Track, a national pride project. Four parallel tunnels have been built for vehicles travelling to and from Kathmandu and Nijgadh, with equally striking bridges at each entrance.

While finishing work continues inside the tunnels, additional tunnels are under construction. The longest tunnel so far stretches 3,455 metres, with 2,348 metres yet to be excavated. According to Nepali Army spokesperson Rajaram Basnet, 70 percent of the excavation is complete, with a breakthrough planned by mid-July.

Construction faced delays due to the Mahadevitar tunnel being slow to start and DPR approvals taking time. The project, handed over to the army in 2017, spans 70.977 km in total, with tunnels covering 10.979 km and 13 of the 89 bridges already completed. The total bridge length is 12.885 km. The project’s physical progress currently stands at 45.16 percent.

Here are some photos by Hemanta Shrestha.