SUNDAY NOVEMBER 27: Modified Lowari tunnel project: Rs 18.132 billion revised cost approved by Ecnec

ISLAMABAD: Several successive governments have failed to complete the Lowari road tunnel and access roads project despite 126 percent escalation in the cost, from Rs 7.984 billion to Rs 18.132 billion, after passage of three decades. The Pakistan government had started work on the project in the seventies but it is yet to be completed.
According to official documents, the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) was informed in its recently held meeting that the Ministry of Communication has sponsored this project at a revised cost of Rs 18.132 billion, including foreign exchange component (FEC) of Rs 5.877 billion. The project envisages construction of 8.6 km mini-electric rail tunnel to provide facilities of a piggyback shuttle service for transportation of a mix of loaded cargo and passenger vehicles to and from one portal to the other between the districts of Dir and Chitral.
The project was approved by Ecnec on July 27, 2004 at a cost of Rs 7.984 billion with FEC of Rs 1.6 billion. The rail tunnel was designed for transshipment of about 100 vehicles per hour in both directions, or about 2000 vehicles per day. Tunneling process was completed by January 15, 2009. Subsequently, it was decided to modify the already excavated tunnel cavity by enlarging the existing cross section up to three metres to provide space for two-lane road, including two-metre emergency land on both sides along with allied facilities.
The modified road tunnel would thus accommodate three to five times the traffic volume capacity of the rail tunnel. The revised project envisages modification/conversion of the already excavated 8.5 km long rail tunnel with cleared height ranging from 7.827 metres to 11.575 metres into road tunnel. The project, after completion, would contribute to overall socio-economic uplift of the region and will provide access from the Central Asian States to Gwadar deep sea port.
It was intimated that CDWP, in its meeting held on October 21, 2011, had considered the project and recommended it for approval of Ecnec at the revised cost of Rs 18.132 billion, including FEC of Rs 5.877 billion. During the ensuing discussion, Ecnec was informed that the project was initiated in early seventies but till date it could not be implemented. Consequently, people of the area are facing serious problems, particularly during winter season.
This is an important road, linking the area with Central Asian States. Therefore, priority should be assigned to completion of the project. It was explained that now no rail track will be laid. Instead, it will be road tunnel only. It was also suggested that the current allocation of Rs 1 billion for the project should be raised to Rs 2 billion to complete the project expeditiously. Ecnec was also apprised of the envisaged modification/conversion of the already excavated 8.5 km long tunnel into one-way road tunnel, with emergency land.
The proposed tunnel will contain 3.5 metres single-lane and 2 metres of emergency land on one side and 0.91 metre and 0.87 metre walkways on either side for which existing excavated tunnel will be widened to 3 metres. The Ecnec has accorded approval of the project at revised cost of Rs 18.132 billion.