Anzob tunnel reports

[Koen123]

Ok to pass by car. We passed at night and it was half lit. The next day during daytime no light at all. Not too many Potholes. Very poorly ventilated. Visibility comparable to driving in dense fog ~10-20 meters at best.

We drove with a cab (average speed of around 90 km/ph, one of the craziest rides of my life). Couple of kilometers after the tunnel somebody drove into the ravine. Take care, very dangerous road.

[I35TX]

How is the tunnel in winter??

The tunnel isn't bad at all in the winter (at least if going by car - sorry can't comment on how it is on bicycle). We went in January, and the tunnel honestly wasn't any worse than some other tunnels we had been in. At this point I think the only "bad" thing about it is the fact that it is just very long which makes it more daunting.

Yes it can get smoggy inside, and the ventilation isn't that good, but driving through shouldn't be an issue. There is lighting only for 1/2 of the tunnel, but in the dark it wasn't an issue since our car lights worked just fine. The most important thing for us was that the tunnel was well paved now, and that there weren't any drainage issues anymore. It seems that recent upgrade works have made it much more tame.

As for bicyclists, as I said, I can't comment how the experience is, but I have a few thoughts. 1) is that ironically now that the tunnel is well paved, speeds inside are quite high and I will guess that two lanes of cars speeding by can be very dangerous, 2) since half the tunnel is unlit/poorly lit, that might be an issue. If doing it, maybe try and flag down a car that can have their flashers on and be your escort across.

On the same thread, in general the Khujand-Dushanbe road is fine even in the winter. We crossed in January with no issues. It still is a dangerous road, don't get me wrong (with many locations not having guardrails to protect against a cliff and many spots with fallen small rocks scattered around), but the actually quality of the tarmac is pretty decent and well cleared in the winter. So just drive slow, watch for rocks (we hit one and got a flat tire), and you'll be fine. Also if coming directly from Uzbekistan, change money into Somoni asap, as the tolls booths between Khujand and Dushanbe cost around 70 TJS / $7 cumulatively and only accept cash / local money.