ADB-funded road asphalted in Bamyan

BAMYAN CITY (PAN): A 98-kilometre road was asphalted in Bamyan, reducing the four-hour distance between the provincial capital and Yakawlang district to 80 minutes, officials said on Wednesday.

Costing $70 million (3.6 billion afghanis), the Asian Developement Bank (ADB) and Japan jointly funded project, implemented by a Korean road construction company in four years.

Second Vice-President Mohammad Karim Khalili and Public Works Minister Najibullah Awjan attended the inaugural ceremony for the road.

Awjan said they had taken measures to prevent the road from being damaged, including restrictions on overloaded vehicles. The project provided work opportunities for hundreds of people.

Yakawlang resident Haji Talib said: “Previously, we had to travel an unpaved road for four hours and paid 500 afghanis ($10) in fare to reach Bamyan City.”

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