Lowari Tunnel

Lowari Tunnel (Urdu: لواري سرنگ‎, Lowari Sarang) is an 10.4 kilometres (6.5 mi) vehicular tunnel under the Lowari Pass of the Hindu Kush mountains, between Dir and Chitral in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is operated by the National Highway Authority and carries traffic on the N-45 National Highway, thus bypassing Lowari Pass. Construction was partly completed by June 2017,[3][4][5][6] By late 2018, the tunnel was open to vehicular traffic for at least ten hours per day.[7]

Lowari Tunnel
لواري سرنگ
Lowari Tunnel
Overview
LocationUpper Dir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Coordinates35°21′0″N 71°48′0″E
StatusPartially open
Route Dir-Chitral Highway
CrossesLowari Pass
Operation
Work begunSeptember 2005 (2005-09)[1]
OpenedJuly 2017 (2017-07)[2]
Technical
LengthTunnel 1: 8.5 kilometres (5.3 mi)
Tunnel 2: 1.9 kilometres (1.2 mi)
No. of lanes2

The total cost of the tunnel was ₨26.954 billion (US$160 million).[8] The tunnel is one of the longest tunnels in South Asia, and is the longest in Pakistan, superseding the 3.91 km (2.43 mi) Khojak Tunnel in 2018.

History

Originally conceived as a railway tunnel, construction began in September 1975 and was inaugurated by Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. However, less than a year later work stopped in 1976 due to non allocation of funds.[9]

Construction resumed in September 2005, and the tunnel was initially expected to be completed by 2009; with conversion into a vehicle road tunnel.[9] This is one of the mega highway projects initiated in 2005 during the government of Pervez Musharraf. But work was stopped at times due to a shortage of funds, and at others due to a change in design and security reasons.

Work on the new plan started in 2013 when the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif came to power. He ordered the release of funds and the project was completed in a short time.

Benefit

The tunnel essentially allows traffic on the N45 National Highway to bypass the Lowari Pass and was intended to reduce the 14 hour drive between Chitral and Peshawar to only 7 hours. The tunnel also facilitates all-weather transportation, as during the long winter season the Lowari Pass is closed, and travelers to and from Chitral used to have to travel into Afghanistan and then back into Pakistan to access the rest of the country. The tunnel is facilitating economic development in the Chitral district, as of late 2018.[7]

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References
  1. "Lowari Tunnel likely to be completed by 2017". The Nation. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  2. Mian, Bakhtawar. "Sharif to inaugurate Lowari tunnel today". Dawn. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  3. "Lowari Main Tunnel". downloads.nha.gov.pk. Retrieved 24 May 2017.
  4. "Lowari Tunnel to be operational by June". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 24 May 2017.
  5. "Lowari Tunnel Northern Portal Access Road". downloads.nha.gov.pk. Retrieved 24 May 2017.
  6. "Lowari Tunnel Southern Portal Access Road". downloads.nha.gov.pk. Retrieved 24 May 2017.
  7. Zahiruddin (30 September 2018). "Lowari tunnel: opportunities and challenges". Dawn. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  8. "Lowari Tunnel Project to be completed next month at cost of Rs26bn". geo.tv.
  9. Staff (16 April 2015). "Lowari Tunnel project to be completed by Oct, 2017". Pakistan Ki Awaz. Archived from the original on 26 May 2015.

https://www.chitraltoday.net/2020/02/09/lowari-tunnel-a-blessing-for-chitral/

https://www.chitraltoday.net/2017/06/lowari-tunnel-ready-for-opening-at-last/

https://www.chitraltoday.net/2015/01/pm-orders-yearly-increase-of-rs-6-billion-for-lowari-tunnel/

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