SALANG TUNNEL (Afghanistan) Aug 27: A five million dollar programme to repair a deadly but vital tunnel linking Kabul with northern Afghanistan is on course to be completed by November, President Hamid Karzai said Wednesday.

Karzai, on a visit to the Salang tunnel, situated high in the Hindu Kush mountains, said the work would ensure the passage remained open during winter snows that frequently entomb motorists.

“We are satisfied with the work done up to now, and we hope the work will be finished by mid-November as the construction company has promised,” Karzai told reporters at one entrance to the tunnel.

“With the reconstruction of this tunnel people will be able to travel in the coming winter without any problems and the road will be open for commerce,” he said.

“This is a vital project for business, trade and movement of the people of Afghanistan from one part of the country to another.”

The tunnel, at a height of 3,363 metres connects the capital with the main northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif and the Central Asian republics of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

The entrance to the 2,500 metre (one-and-a-half-mile) structure was blown up by anti-Taliban resistance forces to prevent the militia from capturing northern Afghanistan during the country’s recent power struggles.

Neglect during the past 15 years has also taken its toll on the Soviet-built structure.

The multi-million-dollar repair job is being funded by the World Bank and carried out by a Turkish firm Cukurova..—AFP