KABUL, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Salang Tunnel, an essential lifeline connecting Afghanistan's capital city Kabul to nine northern provinces, was reopened after reconstruction on Wednesday, the state-run Bakhtar news agency reported.

"This is a significant achievement that could bolster trade activities between Afghanistan and neighboring countries," acting Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund said at the inaugural ceremony held at the mouth of the tunnel.

Opened in 1964 to connect Kabul to the nine northern provinces onward to central Asian states, the 2.7-km-long Salang Tunnel, 3,000 meter above sea level, had been badly damaged due to more than four decades of wars.

The Afghan caretaker government began rebuilding the essential lifeline in mid-July this year.

According to the report, Baradar said that the administration was going to construct a second tunnel as an alternative route to the Salang tunnel, and talks were underway to begin building the new passageway. Enditem

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