DUSHANBE, October 23, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- The first phase of the Dushanbe-Khujand-Chanak rehabilitation project is expected to be finished in early November, Rustam Abdulloyev, the deputy director of the project implementation unit (PIU), said in an interview with Asia-Plus.

According to him, the first phase of the project includes rehabilitation of the 345-kilometer highway from Dushanbe, construction of large, medium-sized and small bridges, with a total length of 1,777 meters, as well as construction of 5,974 meters of pipes, some 20,000 meters of relieving walls and 200 kilometers of drainage ditches.

The second phase of the project includes construction of a 5,253-meter tunnel under the Shahriston pass.

The third phase includes construction of 23 anti-avalanche galleries with a total length of 3,645 meters.

“The second and the third phases of the project are supposed to be completed in July 2010 and an official reintroduction of the highway into operation would be held in September 2011, when Tajikistan will mark the 20th anniversary of its independence,” Abdulloyev said.

Dushanbe-Khujand-Chanak highway rehabilitation project, including construction of the Shahriston Tunnel, aimed at improving road communications between Dushanbe, Khujand and the Uzbek border town of Chanak, was launched in summer 2006.  Chinese company won the tender and Beijing in 2006 offered Tajikistan grants and loans to fund the project.

A total project cost is estimated at $295.9 million, including $281.1 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 $14.8 million are provided by the government of Tajikistan.