Kohat Tunnel

The Kohat Tunnel is a 1.9 kilometres (1.2 mi) long road tunnel located in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Constructed with Japanese assistance, it is also known as the Pak-Japan Friendship Tunnel.

Construction on the tunnel began in 1999, and opened to traffic in June 2003. As part of the developing Indus Highway system, the tunnel serves as a shorter, alternate route to the Kohat Pass, situated between the cities of Peshawar and Kohat. The new route decreases the time required to travel through the Kotal Pass by about 20 minutes. The main advantage of the tunnel is that long bodied vehicles can now use the Indus Highway whereas previously the hairpin bends on the Kotal Pass made it impossible for such vehicles to travel. It also helps alleviate traffic congestion, improve traffic safety and promote economic development.