Laghman PRT road project completed in Mehtar Lam

LAGHMAN PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN

10.06.2010

Story by Capt. Tristan Hinderliter 

Combined Joint Task Force 101

LAGHMAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Provincial officials, including Laghman Gov. Mohammed Iqbal Azizi, attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony, Oct. 6, for the Gumain Road rehabilitation project, an initiative funded by the Laghman Provincial Reconstruction Team.

“The road will provide improved transportation and opportunities for work for more than 3,000 people in the area,” said U.S. Air Force Capt. Sean Stapler of Narragansett, R.I., Laghman PRT lead engineer. “Residents will have greater access to medical and educational facilities, as well as government services. The project will also enhance security by allowing Afghan National Security Forces better access to the region.”

In addition, small vehicles will now be able to utilize the Shamati Bridge over the Alingar River; the road was previously impassable for vehicles to access the bridge.

The project was nominated by the Laghman Director of Rural Rehabilitation and Development, under the Capacity Building Funds program, which is administered in the province by the Laghman PRT. Under the CBF program, government officials are mentored through the identification, design and execution of projects – therefore, projects not only benefit the community, but also serve as valuable training opportunities, said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Christopher Possehl of Newnan, Ga., Laghman PRT commander.

In the instance of the Gumain Road project, RRD staff performed the initial survey, design and cost estimate with guidance from the PRT. As a condition for U.S. approval, the RRD director was required to have a course of action to sustain the project once it was completed. In this case, the villagers of the Gumain community have signed an agreement to maintain the 3.2-km stretch of road using an all-volunteer workforce known as an “ashra.”

Construction of the road was carried out by an Afghan contractor – the Noorlam Construction Company – with oversight by the PRT. In an effort to create jobs locally, the contract stipulated that the contractor’s workforce would consist of at least 80 percent Afghan citizens, 75 percent of which resided within a 20-km radius of the worksite. The contract also provides for a one-year warranty on all new or refurbished drainage structures on the road.

The project was completed in approximately three months at a cost of just over $100,000.

“I think this road will go a long way toward improving the quality of life for people in the area,” Stapler said. “It’s important to demonstrate to the community that supporting the Government of Afghanistan can bring tangible benefits.”

• Date Taken: 10.06.2010
• Date Posted: 10.09.2010 13:53
• Story ID: 57821
• Location: LAGHMAN PROVINCE, AF