Due to the lengthy process in evaluating the technical proposals submitted by the shortlisted contractors, Department of Roads (DoR) has been unable to finalise the contractor for construction of the Nagdhunga to Naubise tunnel project.

The DoR has said that it has evaluated the technical proposals submitted by the six shortlisted firms and forwarded them to Japan International Cooperation Agency, the development partner of the project. As per DoR, it has been more than a week but JICA is yet to evaluate the proposals.

Keshav Kumar Sharma, chief of Foreign Coordination Department under DoR, said it will take some more time to select contractor. “We have already evaluated technical proposals of six contractors and are awaiting JICA’s approval.”

On October 25 last year, six international construction firms had submitted their tender documents to the Department of Roads for the construction of the much-hyped 2.69-kilometre-long tunnel project. Among them, five are Chinese firms and one is a Japanese construction company.

The DoR had called a global tender for the construction of the Nagdhunga-Naubise tunnel project on August 9, asking interested firms to submit their technical and financial proposals by October 25.

As per Sharma, a total of 42 national joint venture firms and international construction companies had purchased the tender bid document but only six companies had submitted their tender documents.

JICA will be providing loan assistance of $141.41 million to Nepal for the tunnel project.

The estimated cost of the project hovers at around $188.19 million. The remaining cost of the project will be borne by the Nepal government.

Meanwhile, the DoR has said that it has already finalised the land acquisition process along the tunnel construction area.

The government has acquired 267 ropanis in Nagdhunga area of Kathmandu and 109 ropanis of land in Naubise of Dhading district for the project.

Furthermore, DoR has said the project will be developed using cutting-edge technology from Japan and will be completed by 2021.