Two cracks have been found in Pakistan’s recently constructed 1.9km long Kohat tunnel, following an earthquake at the end of November 2002.
Measuring no more than 3m long, engineers said the cracks should not present any problems. Pervez Gul, Kohat Tunnel’s project director, said that the tunnel could bear the pressure of the highest intensity earthquakes – rare in Pakistan.
Japan’s Taisei Corporation, the company awarded the US$130M contract, said that all other tunnels constructed by them had survived fierce earthquakes, which are commonplace in Japan. An agreement between Taisei and Pakistan’s National Highway Authority, means that the cost of any damage will be borne by the Japanese government.
Original surveys showed that the region’s rock structure was full of water reservoirs, and consisted of loose rock. This led to the project being shelved for 20 years.
