This photo taken on Aug. 6, 2023 shows the reconstruction site of a road in Salang District of Baghlan Province, Afghanistan. (Photo by Zahir Khan Zahir/Xinhua)
KABUL, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Afghanistan's Salang Pass, the main highway linking the country's national capital Kabul to nine northern provinces onward to Central Asian states, would remain closed for reconstruction starting Saturday, the private television channel TOLOnews reported.
Work for the reconstruction of the 2.7-km-long Salang Tunnel began on Aug. 5. For one month, the trucks are permitted to cross it at night, but afterward, the essential pass would remain closed for two months for further reconstruction work.
The vehicles could use Shibar-Bamyan road as an alternative way to transport travelers between Kabul and northern provinces, while truckers can drive through Salang Pass at night, the media outlet added.
The Salang Pass has been badly damaged during decades of wars and civil strife, and its reconstruction at a section stretching 80 km would take two years on the rugged mountainous area. ■
This photo taken on Aug. 6, 2023 shows the reconstruction site of a road in Salang District of Baghlan Province, Afghanistan. (Photo by Zahir Khan Zahir/Xinhua)
