PALPA: The work on the Siddhababa Tunnel, a national pride project, is currently progressing at a rapid pace. The work has gained momentum after the ‘breakthrough’ of the tunnel under construction in the Dobhan Siddhababa area of Tinau Rural Municipality-3, Palpa along the Siddhartha Highway.

Engineer Savita Gyawali of the Siddha Baba Tunnel Project Office informed that so far, the physical progress of the tunnel has been completed at 57.51 percent, while the financial progress is at 51.1 percent.

According to him, the construction of 1,089 meters of invert of the main tunnel floor has been completed. Engineer Gyawali said that 834 meters of lining work has been completed on the right and left sides. According to him, lining work is currently underway on 292 meters inside the tunnel.

“Of the three bypasses of the tunnel, the first is 151 meters, the second is 161 meters, and the third is 130 meters. In the first bypass, 145 meters of invert work and 124 meters of lining work have been completed. In the third bypass of the tunnel, 125 meters of invert work and 30 meters of lining work have been completed,” he said.

The two-lane main tunnel will be 1,089 meters long, 10.5 meters wide, and about seven meters high. Project Chief Krishna Raj Adhikari said that after the invert and lining work is completed, the work of installing lighting, communication, and safety equipment will begin in a month or two.

According to him, the main tunnel of the tunnel has been cleared for movement of essential vehicles. The progress of the tunnel work has been regularly monitored by public representatives, security agencies and various stakeholders.

Thakur Prasad Gaire, a member of the House of Representatives, who came to monitor the tunnel work, said that the people’s representatives should provide the necessary support to ensure that the work is completed on time.

The construction of a 1,126-meter tunnel from the Upper Siddha Baba Temple on the Butwal-Tansen road section along the Siddhartha Highway began in 2079 BS. The ‘breakthrough’ of the main tunnel has already been completed under this project. The project office has stated that the work, which was started by the China State Construction Engineering Corporation at a cost of Rs 7.34 billion and completed in five years, is targeted to be completed in 2083 BS.

The Siddhartha Highway, from the lower Siddhababa Temple to Dobhan in Palpa, is in a landslide prone area. Engineer Gyawali said that the tunnel was constructed to make this section of the highway safe as dusty landslides occur even during the dry season.

According to him, vehicles ply to Gulmi, Palpa, Arghakhanchi, Syangja, Pokhara, Baglung and Myagdi using this road section.