Anzob Tunnel, Tajikistan - recumbent style

Cycling through the recently opened tunnel through the mountains of central Asia on a recumbent. At 5km long, it was a big undertaking. Or should that be 'is' a big undertaking. It is still under construction, and even though cars are being let through, it is a mess. Water, mud, rock fall...

www.14degrees.org

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Tajikistan
• Anzob
• Tunnel
• recumbent

[Motorsheep]

I drove through this Tunnel this year in July. It's a hell of a lot worse now. It appeared that there was a second tube which was closed due to a literal river running through it. So you had traffic going in two directions, and there were ass-deep potholes everywhere, which you couldn't see because a) the tunnel was flooded, and b) the diesel fumes were so thick we couldn't even see the ground at the end of our own headlight beam.

[14degrees]

It doesn't surprise me! Good on you for taking the chance through the tunnel!

[scotjack]

@Motorsheep It's better now. I drove through it last week with my son-in-law who lives there. The Iranians, who built the twin tunnels, have basically been kicked out, and the tunnel is now being renovated by the Chinese who are also building a very good road through the mountains. (The locals say this road will be used by the Chinese tanks when they take over the world in the next decade or so!) The Chinese are actually building very high quality roads and tunnels all over Tajikistan.

[14degrees]

@scotjack Thank you for the update. Those good old Chinese! They make some great roads.

[loiq]

Nice video,love what they've done with the interior. Looks like something out of lord of rings... kettle's on and i got me some biscuits.

[14degrees]

Mmmmmmm. Bickies.

[hamidj88]

The tunnel hasn't changed even a bit... I was there last month and it's still terrible as hell...

[Motorsheep]

@scotjack

Yeah, I remember seeing Chinese construction workers in the tunnel and wondering how long anyone could survive working under these conditions. I figured they'd probably have a line of people waiting outside to replace those who drop dead in the tunnel.

We saw some of the new Chinese roads, too. Pretty good work as far as I can judge. The Chinese are building these roads because they want to be able to export to the 'Stans.

[Mirokuofnite]

Been reading your post.

Great work man, like a modern day Marco Polo.

[Motorsheep]

We didn't even know there was another way. If the routes split anywhere near the tunnel, we probably missed our turn because I was busy trying to not get stuck in the wet gravel at the construction site. I basically had to floor it for the last 200 metres or so (which cost us our muffler when we hit a huge pothole right before we went into the tunnel)

[faridun86]

That's notUzbekistan man, that's TAJIKISTAN

Learn the map of the world....

[omaniphil]

actually, it is under the Anzob pass.  The Shahkristan pass doesn't need a tunnel since it is open all year round