The road linking Kathmandu with other major cities has long suffered from congestion and, in the rainy season, accidents caused by slope failures. To address this, the Nagdhunga Tunnel — Nepal's first modern road tunnel, about 2.7 km long — was built with support including JICA's.
A stretch that took 30 minutes to an hour over a winding mountain pass now takes 6–7 minutes. The tunnel has ventilation and lighting systems and an evacuation tunnel for emergencies. In early September, shortly after opening, part of an existing road toward Kathmandu collapsed, and ambulances and other emergency vehicles used the tunnel to reach the site, showing its value as an alternative route.
Construction was hard: brittle Himalayan rock and strong ground pressure caused nearly 40 collapses and deformation of up to about 1.5 meters. The site manager from the Japanese contractor recalls stressing the importance of detailed ground measurements to local workers, who carried them out patiently and made the work possible.
Key points
- Travel time cut from 30–60 minutes to 6–7 minutes
- Completed through repeated measurements by Japanese and Nepali engineers in difficult ground
- Hopes for a cycle of skilled people moving between Japan and Nepal
Why this news deserves attention
Infrastructure does more than ease traffic — it supports emergency access and safety. This tunnel is a concrete example.
The article also expresses hope that people who learn skills on such projects will work in Japan and return to contribute in Nepal. It shows that ODA builds not only things, but connections between people.
Editor's comment
Reportedly people welcomed it as "world-class infrastructure" at the completion ceremony. Thinking of the seven years and the perseverance of everyone on site, it is quite moving.
More on the construction and photos are available in JICA's article. Please take a look at this field of international cooperation.