Construction of key bridge begins in Afghanistan's Badakhshan

Kabul, Nov 11 Afghan authorities have launched the construction of a key bridge in Yawan district of northern Badakhshan province in a bid to improve transportation and economic connectivity in the mountainous region, a local official said Tuesday.

The project is financed by a local organization at an estimated cost of 641,000 US dollars, said Mawlawi Abdul Manan Mukhlis, a shadow district Governor.

The bridge, measuring 82 metres in length, 15 metres in height, and 5 metres in width, is expected to be completed within two years, Mukhlis said, adding that the bridge will significantly facilitate travel and trade for residents in the area, many of whom rely on narrow and often unsafe routes to connect with neighbouring districts, Xinhua news agency reported.

Officials expressed the hope that such infrastructure projects will contribute to local stability and development by creating short-term employment opportunities and strengthening essential transport links across the province.

Badakhshan, a remote and mountainous province in northeastern Afghanistan, faces persistent infrastructure challenges due to its rugged terrain and harsh winters.

Last month, the Afghan authorities had launched the construction of another essential bridge in Badakhshan province linking several districts to the provincial capital Faizabad city.

Financed by the Ministry of Public Works and bearing a cost of 60 million Afghani (around 896,000 US dollars), the bridge, at a length of 80 metres, 29 metres in height and 10 metres wide, initially connects the mountainous Shahr-e-Bazarg to Argo districts and eventually could benefit the population of 10 districts, Provincial Director for Public Works, Mawlawi Abdul Ghafoor Ated said on October 3.

The provincial government, according to the official, would also begin the asphalting of 26 km of road in the province in the near future.

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