Bidding has opened for the long-awaited Siddhababa tunnel on the Siddhartha Highway, with three joint ventures making the technical shortlist. The tunnel is expected to bypass one of the most landslide-prone stretches of the highway, which closes for weeks every monsoon.
Project officials say the shortlisted bidders will now submit financial proposals, with the contract award targeted for later this year. The tunnel, along with approach roads and slope stabilisation works, is projected to cut travel time and sharply reduce accident rates on the corridor.
Transport operators and local businesses have welcomed the progress, noting that repeated blockages cost the regional economy dearly each year. Once complete, the tunnel will provide an all-weather alternative that keeps freight moving through the monsoon season.