PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and National Highway Authority have decided that Lowari tunnel currently under construction will be open to traffic for two days a week during the upcoming winter.

The decision was made during a meeting chaired by provincial secretary for relief, rehabilitation and settlement department Tariq Rashid on August 21, said the minutes of the meeting available with Dawn.

According to the minutes, the meeting decided that Lowari tunnel would be kept open on every Tuesday and Friday in the winter to ensure the people of flood- affected district would not face shortage of basic consumer items.

Tariq Rashid highlighted the issue related to Lowari Tunnel Project as well as the sufferings of people seen during the last winter season.

He said the Upper Dir deputy commissioner had communicated that the NHA was going to start the lining of tunnel due to which facility of allowing civil traffic through tunnel from Dir to Chitral would not be available in the upcoming winter season and that such a scenario was likely to cause inconvenience to the people and might lead to food and fuel shortages in the district.

The Tunnel project director told the meeting that the date of the project’s completion was December 2016 and that the prime minister had issued directives for the completion of work within the stipulated time.

The minutes said that both the provincial government and NHA had agreed that the access to Lowari Tunnel would be ensured by the NHA for two days a week.

Also, both the sides agreed to ensure hazard-free access to the tunnel during two days and two kilometers access road on both sides of the tunnel to be constructed by the NHA.

The minutes said the NHA would also ensure the opening of the clearance of Lowari Top for both transportation of goods and general public.

According to them, apart from the light traffic vehicles, ‘smaller Shehzors’ will be allowed to pass through the tunnel.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2015

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