KUNAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Representatives from the Kunar Provincial Reconstruction Team and the Kunar provincial government attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the newly constructed Pashad Bridge, May 14.

The bridge is 200 meters long and spans the Kunar River, which bisects the province length-wise. It connects the Narang and Sarkani Districts and carries a price-tag of $1.2 million.

Construction on the bridge began in 2008, however, delays occurred due to the floods which devastated much of Kunar and neighboring Pakistan. The floods toppled several other bridges in the province, raising concerns about construction standards used on the project.

To ease the concerns of the local populace, PRT engineers, led by project manager U.S. Navy Cmdr. Lise Pederson of Lakewood, Colo., visited the construction site weekly to ensure the contractor adhered to the statement of work and demonstrated appropriate construction quality.

The contractor was very receptive to our input, Pederson said, and made all the required corrections in a timely manner.

As far as addressing the local Afghan’s specific concerns as to whether the bridge, which was damaged while under construction during the floods, could withstand future flood waters, Pederson said special attention was given to strengthening the bridge to avoid future mishaps.

“The contractor reinforced two of the bridge supports and the west side abutment [where the bridge connects to land] that was damaged during the flood,” Pederson said. “U.S. Army Corps of Engineers structural engineers reviewed the plans and our field notes to determine the capacity and safety of the bridge,” she continued, and found it to be structurally sound.

PRT Commander, U.S. Navy Cmdr. Brian Goss of Annapolis, Md., acutely aware of the prevailing concerns with the quality of the bridge, reassured the residents of Sarkani and Narang during an interview with Afghan media at the bridge site.

“I am aware of the problems in the past with the bridges of Kunar,” Goss said, “but my engineers and I, along with the engineers from your Afghan government, our partners, have worked hard to ensure that this bridge is strong, its quality is good, and it will be here for you to benefit from for many years to come.”

“I want to thank the PRT for all their hard work,” said Kunar Gov. Fazlullah Wahidi after the ribbon-cutting. “This new bridge is a strong symbol of progress in Kunar. It will help bring the people of Kunar together and closer to their government.”

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