KABUL, Dec 28, 2003 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- An essential mountain pass which links the Afghan capital with the country's northern provinces was reopened on Sunday after over nearly six months of rehabilitation.
"Reconstruction of Salang Tunnel and its reopening today is another significant achievement towards the country's recovery from war devastation after the rebuilding of the Kabul-Kandahar highway," President Hamid Karzai told reporters after cutting the ribbon.
He was referring to a 482-kilometer highway between the capital city and the southern major city, reopened earlier this month after being renovated with assistance of the United States and Japan.
Salang, a 2.7-kilometer tunnel initially built with former Soviet Union assistance in 1960s, had been badly damaged during over two decades of war and civil conflicts in the country.
"With the tunnel being operational, travel time is decreased and trade activities would flourish" between the south and the north, the president said at the inaugural ceremony.
The Salang pass, situated about 3,500 meters above the sea level in Hindu Kush mountains some 100 kilometers northeast of Kabul, is hailed as the highest tunnel in the world.
Karzai, who himself inaugurated the reopening of the Kabul- Kandahar highway nearly two weeks ago, said he was hopeful that the ongoing post-war reconstruction would pick up speed with completion of such major transportation projects.
Cukuruva, a Turkish construction company, had rehabilitated the tunnel under the six-million-US-dollar project funded by World Bank since mid-July this year.
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Copyright (c) 2003 Comtex News Network
Received by NewsEdge Insight: 12/28/2003 08:51:56