DUSHANBE, May 2, Asia-Plus -- The Anzob pass linking the northern province of Sughd with Dushanbe is supposed to be opened for traffic will be opened for traffic in early May, Ms. Robiya Zavqiyeva, chairperson of the road-building department of the Ministry of Transport, said.  

According to her, the work on clearing the pass and nearby sections of the highway from Dushanbe to Khujand of snow is still ongoing.  “It remains to clear the last 1.5 kilometers of the highway of snow,” she said, noting that warmer temperatures have increased the risk of avalanches that makes snow-clearing work on the pass difficult.  

“As far as the Khaburabot pass in Gorno Badakhshan is concerned, it remains to clear the last 7.5 kilometers of snow there,” Ms. Zavqiyeva said, noting that specialists hope to complete the snow-clearing work also in early May.  This pass links Gorno Badakhshan to Dushanbe via the Rasht Valley (eastern Tajikistan).  

Ms. Zavqiyeva says a government commission will have visited the passes this week to study safety of traffic via them.