KHUJAND, May 22, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- Some 55 percent of the Chinese funded tunnel under the Shahriston pass in northern Tajikistan has been built to this date, Shamsullo Alimatov, manager of the third section of rehabilitation of the Dushanbe-Khujand-Chanak highway, said in an interview with Asia-Plus.

According to him, builders have already dug 2,351 meters of the automotive tunnel and 2,418 meters of the ventilation tunnel fro the southern portal and 780 meters of the automotive tunnel and 830 meters of the ventilation tunnel from the northern portal so far.

366 workers, including 55 Tajik nationals currently work for the Dushanbe-Khujand-Chanak highway rehabilitation project, which includes construction of the tunnel under the Shahriston pass.  A total length of the tunnel is 5,253 meters and it is expected to be finished in August 2010.  

We will recall that Chinese company won the tender and Beijing offered Tajikistan grants and loans to fund the project.  The rehabilitation of the road and construction of the tunnel started in the summer of 2006.