Lowari Tunnel
Encyclopedia
Lowari Tunnel is an 8.75 km (5.3 mi.) long under-construction road tunnel
situated in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan
connecting Dir and Chitral Valley.
to Peshawar
by 50%. Moreover, people of Chitral have to travel from Afghanistan and then enter back in Pakistan during the winter season as Lowari top is closed for traffic for most part of the year. Chitral remains virtually inaccessible in the winter, the tunnel will also facilitate all-weather transportation.
.8 billion ($133 million US) in 2013.
Construction vehicles transited the completed tunnel in January 2009. The tunnel was temporarily open in the winter of 2009-10 when the Lowari Pass was closed.
Currently SAMBU JV has removed all construction equipment and has apparently abandoned the project.
Length: 8.75 km
Diametre: 7.1 metres
Cost: PKR 5,545.7 Million (USD 133 Million)
Client: National Highway Authority (Pakistan)
Contractor: Sambu JV (South Korea)
Consultant: Geoconsult-Typsa JV
Date of Commencement: 5 September 2005
Estimated Date of Completion: December 2013
Physical Progress: 44% completed
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
situated in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
connecting Dir and Chitral Valley.
History
The Lowari Tunnel was originally conceived in 1956 by the Government of Pakistan. Work on the tunnel began on 8th September 1975 but was stopped in 1976 due to lack of funds and other development priorities, work on the tunnel did not restart until September 2005.Benefits
The tunnel will reduce the current 14-hour drive from ChitralChitral
Chitral or Chetrar , translated as field in the native language Khowar, is the capital of the Chitral District, situated on the western bank of the Kunar River , in Pakistan. The town is at the foot of Tirich Mir, the highest peak of the Hindu Kush, high...
to Peshawar
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
by 50%. Moreover, people of Chitral have to travel from Afghanistan and then enter back in Pakistan during the winter season as Lowari top is closed for traffic for most part of the year. Chitral remains virtually inaccessible in the winter, the tunnel will also facilitate all-weather transportation.
Construction
A South Korean construction company, SAMBU JV, has been assigned the work on the tunnel. It is expected to be completed at a cost of RsRS
RS may refer to:- Genetics :A unique submitted SNP record receive a reference SNP ID number . Cf. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DbSNP- Computer-related :* RuneScape, a multiplayer online role playing game...
.8 billion ($133 million US) in 2013.
Construction vehicles transited the completed tunnel in January 2009. The tunnel was temporarily open in the winter of 2009-10 when the Lowari Pass was closed.
Currently SAMBU JV has removed all construction equipment and has apparently abandoned the project.
Salient features
Project Name: Lowari TunnelLength: 8.75 km
Diametre: 7.1 metres
Cost: PKR 5,545.7 Million (USD 133 Million)
Client: National Highway Authority (Pakistan)
Contractor: Sambu JV (South Korea)
Consultant: Geoconsult-Typsa JV
Date of Commencement: 5 September 2005
Estimated Date of Completion: December 2013
Physical Progress: 44% completed