Floods push back Siddhababa tunnel opening to mid-January

Plans to open the Siddhababa tunnel to traffic have been pushed back until mid-January after floods in the Bhotekoshi and Kaligandaki rivers disrupted the delivery of equipment needed to operate the tunnel. The project had aimed to allow vehicles through the tunnel before the Dashain festival. But the installation of electrical equipment and safety systems remains incomplete.

The project office now expects to open it by mid-January. China State Construction Engineering Corporation, the contractor, has been importing most of the construction materials from China. Equipment needed to operate the tunnel, including electrical components and safety systems, was also due to arrive through the Rasuwa border point.

But floods in the Bhotekoshi blocked the route, forcing the consignment to be rerouted through the Korala border point in Mustang. The delivery was further delayed when floods in the Kaligandaki washed away concrete bridges along the corridor, disrupting transport through the alternative route.