By Rammani Dahal, Hetauda, Mar. 31: Construction on the Bhimphedi-Kulekhani tunnel, a provincial pride project of Bagmati connecting Bhimphedi and Indrasarobar rural municipalities, is moving at a snail’s pace.

Although the provincial government set up a project office for the Post Bahadur Bogati Tunnel Road in September last year, work has not gathered momentum yet owing to a lack of manpower and other problems.

Head of the Bhimphedi-Kulekhani Tunnel Project Navin Kumar Singh said that the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the project was currently being reviewed and finalised.

Informing that the NEA Engineering Consultant Ltd. was reviewing the DPR, Singh also shared that the work on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the project had reached its final stage. “The EIA has been forwarded to Bagmati’s Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Forests and Environment for approval,” he said, adding, “We are also in the process of selecting consultants to supervise the project according to international standards.”

For the selection, the project office had sought letters of intent from the interested applicants based on which six companies were shortlisted. “We have now requested for technical and financial proposals from the shortlisted consultants,” Singh said.

Under the project, two tunnels of 7.5 metres width each will be constructed connecting Bhimphedi Rural Municipality-6 and Indrasarobar Rural Municipality-2.

Project Chief Singh told The Rising Nepal that a comprehensive plan had been prepared to complete the construction of the tunnels within 36 months of work’s commencement.

The provincial government has allocated more than a billion rupees for the tunnel project in the budget of the current fiscal year.

Discussions are also underway on the possibility of constructing the tunnel in collaboration with the federal government or link it with the Nijgadh-Kathmandu expressway.

The Bhainse-Bhimphedi and Kulekhani-Sisneri-Chhaimale-Dakshinkali roads will also be upgraded for the tunnel project.