Tunnel Transportation

Nepal is largely a mountainous country where the cost of building and maintaining land road is relatively high. The news of roads being severed or destroyed by natural disasters like landslides, floods and earthquake is a routine here. The unforgiving landscape makes travelling and navigating along some of the roads, as well as connecting isolated settlements and places a daunting challenge. This is why many areas in far-flung districts of the country have only recently connected or remains to be connected with the national road networks. 

This past year, hundreds of people perished while travelling through such roads, mostly owing to monsoon disasters. Some roads are so treacherous that mere thought of journeying through them is a nightmare. These roads are also vulnerable to frequent natural hazards, explaining why some lie in ruins much of the year. Should we believe what experts have to say on how these obstacles can be overcome, building more tunnels instead of land roads is the way to go. And the good news is that this is already happening! With several recent tunnel breakthroughs and projects – such as Sunkoshi-Marin Diversion Project's tunnel and Nagdhunga- Sisnekhola tunnel, we are already in a new era of tunnel transportation. 

Accelerating the pace of the era is another tunnel that has neared its breakthrough: Siddhababa tunnel. The tunnel work in the Siddhababa area of the Siddhartha Highway, in Palpa district, has reached its final stage. The 1,126-metre-long tunnel is expected to be completed in a few days. The Siddhababa area of the Siddhartha Highway has long been notorious for frequent landslides, causing numerous fatalities and earning it the dire nickname of 'death trap.' At this stretch of the road, travellers have long been facing the tragic risk of death or injury due to landslides. But the tunnel, once completed, is not only expected to make travel safer but also easier to travel to Palpa, Rupandehi, Gulmi, Arghakhanchi, Syangja, Pokhara and Baglung districts. It will also markedly shorten the travel time and distance. 

It goes without saying that it is always more efficient to build tunnels instead of going around an obstacle such as a mountain. What's more, the experience of travelling underground may be smoother, as people are able to avoid unpleasant weather such as heat, cold or rain that usually occur on the land surface.  Building tunnel is also an effort towards sustainable infrastructure, which also helps preserve valuable land for more beneficial use. Road tunnels can be a suitable transportation solution for Nepal. The construction preceded by meticulous planning and design, experts argue, can help mitigate the impacts of geology and other constraints plaguing our transportation sector. 

The country's high vulnerability to landslide, flood and earthquake means that land roads are among the first casualties. Tunnels built with cutting edge technology are known to better withstand earthquake compared to land roads. This not only keeps roads functional at all conditions but also improves road safety and reduces traffic congestion. Though tunnels are decidedly better option than land roads wherever and whenever possible, not all areas are suitable for tunnel construction. As such, tunnel construction in a fragile landscape can invite a much bigger disaster than a road accident there might cause. So proper and elaborate study that takes into account every probable event is essential prior to tunnel construction.