Editorial photo #13976486 Human Interest

Nepal’s First Transport Tunnel Built In Japanese Loan Assistance Completes Construction, Awaits Inauguration

A SOS booth is set up inside the Nagdhunga-Naubise transport tunnel in Nepal on July 18, 2026. The tunnel was built under Japanese loan assistance ahead of its inauguration. The main tunnel of the Nagdhunga-Naubise Tunnel Project stretches 2,688 metres. Under the original contract, construction was scheduled for completion by April 26, 2023, but delays by the contractor and local obstructions affected the project's timeline. Once operational, it is expected to ease traffic movement along the Nagdhunga-Naubise road section, a main gateway into and out of Kathmandu. According to the project office, more than 8,000 small and large vehicles, excluding two-wheelers, travel through the Nagdhunga-Naubise corridor each day. Around 60 percent of those vehicles are expected to use the tunnel. The project office clarified that two-wheelers will not be allowed inside the tunnel. Authorities expect the tunnel to reduce travel time and improve overall traffic flow on one of Nepal's busiest highways. (Photo by Subaas Shrestha/NurPhoto)