Feasibility Study of Thankot – Naubise Tunnel Road and Tokha-Gujre Tunnel Road

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Client: Department of Roads
Funding Agency: Government of Nepal
Period: October 2012 to March 2013
Consulting Association: GEOCE Consultants (P) Ltd-Tech Studio of Engineering (P) Ltd JV
Approx. Value of Services: NRs 2,193,000, GEOCE’s part-NRs 1,315,800
Professional Staff Input: National (13) person months.

Salient Details:

Feasibility study of Thankot-Naubise and Tokha-Gurje Tunnel Roads in Kathmandu, which include identification and study of alternate options of tunnel routes, surveys and investigation (including 2D electrical resistivity survey), geological mapping, seismicity, environmental  study, preliminary design, economic analysis, technical and financial assessment, options study and recommendation of selected tunnel road alignment.

Thankot-Naubise Tunnel Road

The study considered Direct tunnel road alignment continuous from Nagdhunga to Naubise and Small tunnel road alignment of shorter length at scattered locations along with following options:

a) Direct Tunnel Road Alignment
    Option -1: Totipakha/Thankot – Naubise, 7.7 km
    Option -2: Imakhel 1/Thankot – Naubise, 7.05 km
b) Small Tunnel Road Alignment (Shorter length of Tunnels at scattered places):
    Option -3: Tunnel-1: Imakhel /Thankot – Sisne Khola, 2.3 km
    Tunnel-2: Sisne Khola – Sikre Khola, 1.7 km
    Tunnel-3: Sikre Khola– Khani Khola (straight), 1.75 km and
    Tunnel-3 (curve): Sikre Khola – Khani Khola, 1.8 km

On the basis of study, Imakhel-Sisne Khola tunnel was recommended for Thankot-Naubise Tunnel Road

Tokha-Gurje Tunnel Road

The study identified and examined six options of Direct Tunnel alignment to cross Siwapuri mountain range between these two road head points. The identified alignment options for the study were from Jhor (Jagat Gaun) (2.85 km), Tokha Chandeshowari Gaon (5.16 km), and Budhanilkantha (Sarki Gaon) (5.2 km) to Gurje and Ganesh Khola alternatives to Ghyampe Khola (3.55 km) and Geragaun (4.175 km) and  Salle to Geragaun (4.875 km).

Based on study Ganesh Khola – Geragaun Tunnel Road alignment was recommended for Tokha-Gurje Road.

Project Management and Capacity Building Consultants, Kathmandu Sustainable Urban Transport Project [ADB Loan No./Grant No. -2656/0212-NEP (SF)]

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Client: Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport
Funding Agency: Asian Development Bank
Period: July, 2012 to October 2017
Consulting Association: SMEC- Brisbane City Enterprises Pty-Transport Planning (International)-GEOCE Consultants (P) Ltd.
Approx. Value of Services: Total-US$ 2.60 M and NRs 89.59M. GEOCE’s part- NRs 69.8 M
Professional Staff Input: International (91) and National (267) person months

Salient Details:

The Project is to improve the quality of urban life in the capital of Nepal, through the delivery of a more efficient, safe, and sustainable Urban Transport System (UTS), favoring local economic growth and addressing climate change and air pollution mitigation. The UTS will be enhanced by focusing on (i) a plan to rationalize and upgrade the existing public transport network, and the test of this approach through the implementation of pilot routes provided with electric or other low emission vehicles; (ii) traffic management works and measures, which will enable heritage routes in the city cores to be pedestrianized, and will improve general walkability; and (iii) the improvement of air quality monitoring. Total project cost is US$ 30.42 million.

The services of Project Management and Capacity Building Consultants (PMCBC) were provided to Project Management and Coordination Office (PMCO) in planning, managing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating all Projects related activities; and Project Implementation Units (PIUs) established at five Implementing Agencies (IAs)-Ministry of Environment, Department of Roads, Department of Transport Management, Metropolitan Traffic Police Division and Kathmandu Metropolitan City for the project, through the PMCO, in various project implementation activities.

Main activities of Project Management and Capacity Building Consultants (PMCBC) were for:

  1. Overall project planning management and monitoring support to PMCO
  2. Baseline data and establishment of Project Performance Monitoring System
  3. Environmental and Social Safeguards Compliance Monitoring
  4. Regulatory and Technical Support, Component 1, Public Transport 
  5. Regulatory and Technical Support, Component 2, Traffic Management
  6. Regulatory and Technical Support, Component 3, Walkability improvements
  7. PPP and Financial Advisory Support
  8. Component 4, Air quality monitoring

The key outputs on Public Transport were capacity building and restructuring plan for Department of Transport Management, restructuring the Public Transport industry and network, assistance with commencement of the reform process, bus route franchising model, implementation of pilot routes, feasibility study of Mass Transit System, and awareness campaigns.