20 years on, Farah road project yet to be completed

FARAH CITY (Pajhwok): Initiated two decades back, the construction of a 120-kilometer road — connecting the Sheikh Abu Nasr Farahi Port with the capital of Farah province — is yet to be completed.

A 60-km portion of the Iranian-funded road was completed in 2008, with 50 percent work on the project lingering on to date. However, the construction work resumed recently.

Abdul Jabbar, a driver using the key road, told Pajhwok Afghan News a 60-km portion of the road had been asphalted in 20 years. Another 60-km part was yet to be built, he said.

The driver added through this road, Iranian food and non-food items reached Afghanistan. That was why completion of the project was necessary, he argued.

He said due to the ruined road, vehicles were always overturned.

Although work on the long-delayed project restarted recently, the pace of construction was agonizingly slow, complained.

He called on the government to accelerate the construction of the important road, saying with its completion, the distance of several hours would be reduced to an hour or two.

Mohammad Shah, a Farah businessman, also told Pajhwok that the construction of the road was snail-paced and needed to be accelerated.

But Maulvi Mutasim, director of public works, said much of the road had been completed and the distance between the port and the city shortened.

According to him, the required machines have recently arrived in Farah City and asphalting of the road will begin soon.

sa/mud

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