Cycling Through the Tunnel of Death
MikeyT Williams is a bikepacker from Flagstaff, Arizona, USA who has done over 2,000mi in Europe, and is currently 90-some days into a four month, 4,000 mile trip through Central Asia.
In his latest update, MikeyT took on the Tunnel of Death.
The Anzob Tunnel, Istiqlol tunnel or Ushtur Tunnel is a 5,040 m long tunnel located 80 km (50 mi) northwest of Tajikistan’s capital Dushanbe, at an elevation of 2,720 m (8,920 ft). The tunnel is part of the M34 highway and connects the Tajik capital to the country’s second largest city, Khujand. The tunnel was opened in 2006 despite being only partially finished and it quickly gained the a reputation as being one of the world’s most dangerous tunnels.[1] In 2014 Iran’s government signed an agreement to finish the tunnel and the tunnel was reopened in late 2015. The tunnel saves drivers at least 4 hours when traveling between Dushanbe and Khujand and allows travelers to avoid having to pass through Uzbekistan.
