Cost of Lowari Tunnel Project escalates by 475pc to Rs46 billion.

ISLAMABAD -- The cost of Lowari Tunnel Project has escalated to Rs 46 billion which is 475 percent higher than the original PC-I cost approved in 2004.

The original PC-I of Lowari Road Tunnel and Access Roads Project, which was approved in 2004, has been revised three times and the cost has escalated from Rs 7.98b in 2004 to Rs 46.04b in 2022, official sources told The Nation.

During last 18 years, the cost of Lowari Tunnel project has escalated mainly due to delay in execution, shortage of funding and depreciation of Pakistan rupee. The implementation period of the project is 19 years and 2 months (230 months) started in September, 2005 and is scheduled for completion in October,2024. Lowari Road Tunnel and Access Roads Project is located between Dir and Drosh connecting districts of Dir and Chitral of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The original project envisaging construction of 8.60 km long mini Electric Rail Tunnel to provide facilities of a piggyback shuttle service for transportation of loaded cargo trucks, passenger wagons, loaded cargo pickups and passenger wagons from one portal to the other was approved by ECNEC in 2004 at a cost of Rs.7.98b. The breakthrough of 8.51 km Lowari Rail Tunnel was achieved after whole cut...