An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Afghan, U.S. leaders survey road to Badakshan

  • Published
  • By Capt. Stacie N. Shafran
  • Panjshir Provincial Reconstruction Team Public Affairs
BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan --  Afghan and U.S. leadership performed an aerial assessment of Panjshir province's planned "spine" road leading north to Badakshan province, March 14.

Governor Alhaj G. Bahlol was accompanied aboard a UH-60 Blackhawk by U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Schloesser, Combined Joint Task Force-101 and Regional Command - East commanding general, and leaders from the Panjshir Provincial Reconstruction Team.

Winter weather has made air travel difficult the past few months and with Spring's onset, leaders are anxious to survey the last section of the future road, segment seven. So far, the PRT has planned and funded six of the seven road segments and once segment seven's assessment is complete, the PRT engineers can obligate the Panjshir government's request.

As the helicopter flew above the narrow dirt road that winds along the steep mountainside at elevations above 14,000 feet, Governor Bahlol and the leaders were able to visualize just how much of an effect the nearly 40-mile primary road will have on the valley's 300,000 residents once it connects Panjshir to Badakhshan and other neighboring provinces.

Eventually "rib roads" will also be designed and paved, connecting the remote villages in the side valleys to this new main road. Once complete, these road projects will improve the provincial government's ability to reach its people and link major commerce and district government centers between the province's seven districts. In addition to developing the infrastructure, the road projects also put local people to work boosting the local economies.

"The success we're seeing in Panjshir is because of the partnership between Governor Bahlol, the provincial government and the PRT. With security less of a threat in this province, compared to most of eastern Afghanistan, we're able to help the Afghan government make tangible improvements to the quality of life here at a much faster rate," said Schloesser. "Panjshir is going to serve as a model for the rest of the eastern provinces to follow once they become more stable and we're looking forward to seeing the road's positive effects."

Although the U.S. is funding the road, Panjshir's government leaders are guiding the key decisions, such as selecting contractors, obtaining deeds for lands the road must pass through, and with the PRT's assistance, conducting quality assurance inspections of the contractors' work.

With government capacity in Panjshir growing, the PRT is able to transition more toward advising government officials and engineers.

"This multi-year, $28 million road project will become a long-term mentoring tool between the PRT and local government," said U.S. Air Force Capt. Patrick Kolesiak, PRT Panjshir's lead engineer.

Throughout these road projects, PRT engineers will work side-by-side with their local government counterparts as local engineers take the lead.

"We're hoping that the Afghan citizens who are watching their engineers actively manage major civic works projects will enhance and build public confidence in their local and national government," said Kolesiak.