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.

Upgrading/Widening of Roads to Six Lane Standard, Package 4: Rani-Biratnagar-Itahari-Dharan Road; Asset Management, Contract Management and Quality Control Project (ACQMP)

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Client: Department Roads
Funding Agency: Government of Nepal
Period: July 2010 to May 2011
Consulting Association: GEOCE Consultants (P) Ltd
Approx. Value of Services: NRs 6.46 million
Professional Staff Input: National (22) person months

Salient Details:

Package 4 of ACQMP comprised design, IEE and preparation of contract documents and Detailed Project Report (DPR) for upgrading/widening of 49 km section of Koshi Highway from Rani-Biratnagar-Itahari-Dharan (i.e. project road) to 6 lane standard. This package also included 3 bypass roads (i.e. Rani Bypass-5.2 km. Duhabi Bypass-1.54 km and Dharan Bypass-1.9 km) to ease road widening along major urban areas of Biratnagar, Duhabi and Dharan) and new bridges-Budhi Khola, SMIP Main Canal Crossing and Seuti Khola. The cost estimate for widening of project road, bypass roads and bridges is NRs 5,998.6 Million.

The scope of services was divided into 5 components:

Component 1: Detailed Design of Road and Other Structures

  • Engineering survey, road alignment improvement survey, road inventory survey, survey of utilities to be relocated, geotechnical survey, hydrological survey/drainage study, materials availability survey, traffic survey and road safety audit
  • Detailed design of alignment upgrading/widening and new alignment (in case of Duhabi Bypass); pavement (existing pavement-asphalt concrete overlay and reconstruction, new asphalt concrete pavement for widening, rigid pavement for bus laybys); drainage improvement (side drains, sub surface drain, culverts;  road side facilities (bus laybys, bus stop, bus shelter, side walk); and traffic and road safety measures (median and side barriers, guard rail and delineators; road markings and traffic signs; overhead traffic signs; traffic light signals and street lights); and utilities (electric, telecom, optical fiber and water supply) relocation.
  • Detail drawings and cost estimates and BoQ
  • Scheduling and contract packaging

Component 2: Detailed Design of Bridges

  • Engineering survey, hydrological analysis
  • Bridge site and bridge type study
  • Soil investigation (boring 168 m, SPT, sampling and lab testing)
  • Detailed design of bridges- Budhi Khola, 92 m, 2 lane with foot path, well foundation, pre-stressed; SMIP Main Canal Crossing, span 22 m, 6 lane with side walk, RCC T beam, open foundation; and Seuti Khola, 36 m, 2 lane, pre-stressed, open foundation)

Component 3: Initial Environmental Examination

  • Preparation of ToR
  • Property acquisition survey
  • IEE study

Component 4: Preparation of Contract Documents

  • Preparation of bid documents for each contract package
  • Preparation of special provisions of Technical Specifications

Component 5: Preparation of DPR

  • Preparation of report comprising summary of design and IEE