5 roads in Kunduz rehabilitated, handed over to authorities

KUNDUZ CITY (Pajhwok): Five important roads in the capital of northern Kunduz province were handed over to local authorities after being rehabilitated and improved over the past two years, the German Cooperation with Afghanistan said on Sunday.

The roads including Bala Hesar, Jadeh Azadi, Khawjah Mashad, Spinzar Hospital and Pedagogy road were reconstructed by the German-funded Regional Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) together with Afghan partners, the German Cooperation with Afghanistan said in a statement.

The rehabilitation and improvement of the roads had been requested by the provincial administration through the Governor’s Office and the Provincial Development Committee (PDC), it said.

Before their rehabilitation and improvement, the roads were dusty and in poor condition, some subject to frequent floods and unable to bear significant load of truck traffic.

The statement said the asphalted roads had now side drains, footpaths, culverts, road signs and proper road markings.

Bala Hesar Road and Jadeh Azadi Road serve as part of the major ring and transit road to allow heavy traffic and trucks to bypass the centre of Kunduz City helping to decrease traffic and vehicle pollution in the city centre.

Jadeh Azadi Road also allows easier access to markets and services for people traveling from north (Imam).

After improvement works had finished, Khawjah Mashad Road, Spinzar Hospital Road and Pedagogy Road are now connecting southeast and south-west areas of Kunduz City.

Dr. Martin Schuldes, the German Development Commissioner in Afghanistan, said “the completion of the project is another instance illustrating that progress is happening in Afghanistan.”

He added new infrastructure like the five city roads could help boost local economy and improve living conditions of people. Schuldes also emphasized that the Afghan government would have to take the lead in safeguarding the proper operation and maintenance of infrastructure investments like the five city roads in Kunduz.

The construction work was contracted to the Afghan Joint Venture “Credible Construction Company” and “Daftani Construction and Engineering Company”.

In May 2012, the survey and design works have been started. The work was completed in December 2014, under the supervision of Kunduz municipality engineers and RIDF engineers.

The project was financed through the financial assistance of the German government with costs of more than 6.5 million Euro (around 4 billion afghanis), and directly benefits 250,000 inhabitants of Kunduz city and moreover, up to one million inhabitants in Kunduz province.

pr/ma

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