KATHMANDU, JUNE 17 Nepal's first road tunnel, the Nagdhunga-Naubise Tunnel, is being prepared for operation from next month, promising to ease traffic congestion on the main gateway to Kathmandu. Project Director Saujanya Nepal said most construction work inside the 2.68-kilometre tunnel has been completed and emergency response and traffic management tests are currently underway. Only landslide mitigation work outside the tunnel remains to be completed, he said. The tunnel will operate round the clock and be managed by Yusin ART Company under a five-year contract worth Rs 1.1 billion. Around 150 personnel will be deployed for tunnel operations and maintenance. The government has set toll rates ranging from Rs 60 for light vehicles leaving Kathmandu to Rs 600 for multi-axle trucks entering the Valley. Payments can be made in cash, through QR codes or electronic stickers. The tunnel is expected to serve around 60 percent of the 8,000 vehicles that travel daily along the Nagdhunga-Naubise corridor. Two-wheelers, however, will not be allowed to use the tunnel.