The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has today approved US$31.37 million grant to prepare the Salang Corridor rehabilitation project to improve the efficiency and safety of movement of goods and people in Afghanistan and across Central Asia.

    The grant includes $15.92 million contributed by the Government of Japan through the ADB-administered Afghanistan Infrastructure Trust Fund (AITF). AITF is a donor-financed fund established in 2010 that aims to improve livelihoods of the Afghan people through infrastructure development, according to ADB press release.

    Built in 1964, the existing 2.7-kilometer Salang tunnel and associated connecting roads, collectively known as the Salang Corridor, is in a dilapidated state and dangerous to travelers because of inadequate ventilation, poor lighting, lack of modern safety features, and a failing road surface due to a lack of regular maintenance and rehabilitation.

    The Salang Corridor is the only route that permits year-round North–South passage of goods and people across the Hindu Kush mountain range, which has peaks over 7,700 meters, making the Salang tunnel the second highest tunnel in the world. As one of the key sections of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Corridors 5 and 6, the Salang Corridor is also central to providing mobility for Afghanistan’s neighboring countries.

    Given the lack of alternative routes, the vast majority of goods shipped to Kabul from the north pass through the Salang Corridor. According to the United States Agency for International Development, economic losses from the constrained traffic flow are estimated at $60 million per year.

    To date, ADB has allocated more than $2.2 billion for roads, railways, and airport projects in Afghanistan. The improved Salang Corridor will complement these investments and boost connectivity between Central Asia and South Asia, through Afghanistan. This will support the strategic objectives of the CAREC program in expanding trade and improving competitiveness of the region.