What has been completed
- Workers have fully excavated the left tube of the Mahadevtar tunnel, running 3.486 kilometers. It links the Dhedre and Mahadevtar sections in Makwanpur. - Mahadevtar is now the longest Fast Track tunnel to reach breakthrough. - China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) holds the tunnel contract, worth Rs 21.61 billion.
Work status on the second tube
- The right tube stretches 3.422 kilometers. Crews have already dug out more than 3 kilometers of it. - Lining work is happening alongside the digging. More than half the lining is done in the left tube, and over one-third is done in the right.
Overall tunnel progress on the Fast Track
The Kathmandu-Terai/Madhesh Fast Track runs 70.977 km and includes seven twin-tube tunnels. Combined, the tunnels add up to about 11.21 km when both directions are counted. Crews are building separate tubes for each direction of traffic between Kathmandu and Nijgadh.
Dhedre and Lendanda tunnels already have breakthroughs in both tubes. Finishing and lining work on these two is now in advanced stages. Excavation continues at Chandram Bhir, Devichaur, Sisautar and Mauri Bhir tunnels. Secondary lining has already started at Chandram Bhir.
Project progress and timeline
As of mid-July 2026, the Fast Track has reached 48.72% physical progress and 50.63% financial progress, including mobilization costs. The total project cost is estimated at Rs 211.93 billion.
The Nepali Army took over the Fast Track in 2017. It was divided into 13 construction packages. Work is underway on 12 of them, but the Khokana-Dukuchhap section remains unresolved.
Officials are targeting mid-April 2027 for completion. They have already cautioned that this deadline may be hard to meet unless the Khokana stretch is settled.
Once finished, the expressway should cut travel time between Kathmandu and the Terai/Madhesh by a wide margin. Passenger vehicles and freight moving in and out of the capital will get a faster route.
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