19 September 2004	Sunday	03 Shaban 1425

ISLAMABAD, Sept 18: The construction of abandoned Lowari tunnel will begin in May and the project will be completed in four years, MNA Abdul Akbar Chitrali told Dawn.

He said the government had assured him on the floor of the house that the project would be undertaken without further delay. Tenders for the project would be invited at the end of the current year, he added.

A Swedish-Australian company had prepared the design of the rail tunnel which would be completed at a cost of over Rs7.9 billion, he said, adding that during fiscal year 2004-05, only 5 per cent work would be completed.

Maulana Chitrali said 14 companies had been given contracts for different categories of works. However, 70 per cent of the project would be executed by the foreign firm, he added.

An amount of Rs500 million had been allocated for the project in the fiscal year 2003-04 while Rs10,000 million have been earmarked for the current fiscal year.

Contract agreements for construction of northern and southern access roads were signed on May 12, 2004. The 9-km-long northern access road from Drosh in Chitral to the portal of the tunnel will cost Rs200 million while the 9.3-km-long southern access road from upper Dir will be completed at a cost of over Rs193 million.

Work on utilities' shifting, land acquisition, survey and removal of structures for road widening has been started. Besides, construction of two-lane 9.3km access road on either side of the pass has been in progress which will be completed within a year.

According to the design, the 8.6-km-long tunnel will be 7.3 metres (24 feet) wide and 5.2 (17.2 feet) metres high. There will be a 0.9 metre walkway on either side. The elevation of the southern portal will be 7,920 feet while that of the portal in the northern side would be 7,741 feet.

Two trains, specially designed by the Swedish company, will ferry passengers and vehicles crossing the tunnel in about 11 minutes. At present, loaded trucks manoeuvre the 62 sharp and hairpin bends on the 10,500-foot high Lowari Pass at about three hours.

The pass remains closed from mid-November to April due to heavy snowfall.

When work on the project was abandoned in the mid-70s, about 600 metres digging work was completed from the southern side in Dir district. The old tunnel's design has been changed; however, work will begin at the same portal in the southern site but with some modifications.