Salang highway reopens for traffic

KABUL): The Salang highway, which connects Kabul with northern provinces, was reopened on Saturday for traffic after being closed by floods carrying mud since Thursday evening in central Parwan province, the public works ministry said.

Floodwaters emerging at a dozen of locations on both sides of the 2,673-metre-long Soviet-built Salang tunnel, left a large number of vehicles stranded since Thursday evening.

Floods had damaged a five-kilometre long portion of the highway which was reopened for vehicles after two days of efforts, the deputy public works minister, Ahmad Shah Waheed, told Pajhwok Afghan News. Construction work on the damaged site would be launched soon, he said.

Triggered by heavy rains, the floods blocked the road at several locations on the northern part of the pass leading to Khanjan district of northern Baghlan province, the official said. 

myn/ma