Abu Nasr Farahi road incomplete since decades: Residents

FARAH CITY (Pajhwok): Residents of western Farah province say the Sheikh Abu Nasr Farahi Road, a project that began nearly two decades ago with financial support of Iran, is yet to be completed.

Despite initiation of work in 2007, the 120-kilometer road, which connects the Afghanistan-Iran border to Farah city, remains unfinished.

At the outset, Iranian authorities promised that the construction would be completed within 18 months. However, following political change in Afghanistan, an Iranian delegation revisited the project and pledged to expedite its completion.

Farah residents emphasize the road's importance in reducing the distance between Afghanistan and Iran and they are pressing for its swift completion.

Mohammad Wazir, a resident of Dewar Surkh village in Farah's Khaki Safid district, noted the road had been constructed up to Qalaikah district years ago, but the remaining portion remained incomplete.

He described the road as "easy and short," unlike the challenging conditions of alternative routes, which are muddy, dusty, and uncomfortable.

Wazir explained if the road was completed, travel time to the border could be reduced by four to five hours, compared to the current 17 or 18 hours due to the poor condition of the road.

Another driver, Nazar Mohammad, echoed these sentiments, describing the route from Farah city to Qalaikah district as extremely difficult and prone to vehicle breakdowns.

Mohammad Younis, a Farah city resident, said work on the road had been intermittently started and halted over the past 20 years. Other residents voiced their frustration and requested that the project should be completed.

In response, Sher Ahmad Nasri, the engineer in charge of the Farah Public Works Department, informed Pajhwok that construction on the Sheikh Abu Nasr Farahi Road had recently resumed.

According to Nasri, approximately 80 percent of the road's body and culverts are finished, with only the asphalting work remaining. The plan is to lay four to five kilometers of asphalt each month as the paving progresses.

sa/ma