DUSHANBE, August 9, Asia-Plus — The construction of a Chinese-funded tunnel under the Shahriston pass in northern Tajikistan is under way. To date, 712 meters of the tunnel, 283 meters from the northern portal and 429 meters of the southern portal, have been dug, Rustam Abdulloyev, the deputy director of the unit for implementation of the Dushanbe-Khujand-Chanak highway rehabilitation project, said in an interview with Asia-plus.
A total length the Shahriston tunnel is 5,042 meters. Construction of the tunnel is part of plans to improve road communications between Dushanbe, Khujand and the Uzbek border town of Chanak.
According to Abdulloyev, they have to date spent $3.2 million of $78.9 million provided by the Chinese side for construction of the Shahriston tunnel. “290 people, including 260 Chinese specialists from China’s China Road, are involved in construction of the tunnel,” the deputy director said, noting that the tunnel will be finished in time, by August 2009, while the rehabilitation of the highway from Dushanbe to Chanak will have been completed by August 2008.
We will recall that rehabilitation of the road and construction of the tunnel started last summer. Chinese company won the tender and Beijing last year offered Tajikistan grants and loans to fund the project.
A total project cost is estimated at some $296 million, including $281.2 million provided by the Chinese government in a form of a long-term loan. The loan carries a 20-year period and an interest rate of 2 percent per annum. The remaining some $14 million are provided by the government of Tajikistan.
