Who Will Run the Nagdhunga Tunnel Road? Nepal Opens Global Tender

An international tender has been announced to select a service provider for the operation and maintenance of the Nagdhunga–Sisne Khola Tunnel Road.

The Nagdhunga Tunnel Construction Project on Sunday, November 2, invited electronic bids through international competitive bidding to hire experienced and qualified operators. The deadline for submission is 12 p.m. on December 17, 2025.

Although the tunnel is technically ready for vehicle movement, it has not yet come into operation due to a shortage of trained personnel and safety-related concerns, according to the project office. The main tunnel stretches 2.7 kilometres, while the emergency tunnel measures 2.6 kilometres. The government has already set the toll rates for vehicles that will use the facility.

Equipped with state-of-the-art systems, the tunnel requires round-the-clock technical management. However, the Department of Roads, with its current workload, limited experience, and human resources, lacks the capacity to run and maintain the tunnel on its own. To address this, the government plans to appoint a service provider through international competition, ensuring the use of trained and specialised personnel.

The selected operator will be responsible for the tunnel’s operation and maintenance for five years. During this period, Nepali technicians and managers are expected to benefit from technology transfer from foreign experts, enabling them to independently manage future tunnels and expressway projects.

As the tunnel will operate 24 hours a day, the service provider must maintain constant readiness for emergencies such as accidents, fires, or system failures. Staff will be deployed in shifts, and dedicated emergency response teams will be established to ensure timely interventions.

A total of 150 staff positions have been proposed for the operation and maintenance unit. The team will be led by a chief of operation and maintenance. The security management unit will employ the largest number of personnel —64— followed by 54 in toll collection. Fourteen staff members will handle traffic monitoring and control, while eight each will be assigned to civil structure and other infrastructure maintenance, according to the project.