Kathmandu. The much-awaited Nagdhunga-Sisnekhola tunnel way will come into operation from the third week of August. According to project chief Saujanya Nepal, the trial run of the tunnel will be completed by mid-June and regular operation will start from mid-July.

A team led by Ashish Gajurel, President of the Infrastructure Development Committee under the House of Representatives, made the decision during an on-site inspection on Monday.

According to him, the construction and operation of the booth was delayed after the structure of the toll booth was damaged due to landslide on the western side of the hill following heavy rainfall in July-August last year. Ramesh Koirala, chief of the consultant, said that the delay was due to the legal process, strikes and change in the operating modality.

According to him, initially, the plan was to operate the service through the Department of Roads but later the process reached the Council of Ministers after the decision to select the service provider through competition.

The project has made 99 per cent physical progress and 96 per cent financial progress so far. The construction company is preparing to hand over the project to the government soon. The contract for the construction of the tunnel was given to Yusin-ART (Joint) Company of China for five years. According to the project, around 150 human resources will be required for the operation of the tunnel way.