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68 Afghanistan’s infrastructure has suffered during the recent decades
of war, and lack of investment and maintenance has led to a
TRANSPORT/INFRASTRUCTURE
Kabul-Torkham Highway,
Afghanistan
RECONSTRUCTION OF STRATEGICALLY
IMPORTANT ROAD LINK TO PAKISTAN
Client:
Ministry of Public Works (Afghanistan)
Financier:
EC/ Sida
Project team:
Design: BCEOM (France), NESPAK (Pakistan)
Contractors: China Railway Shisijou Group (CRSS), and Sinohydro
Project value:
£51M
Project size:
221 km Kabul-Jalalabad-Torkham National Highway
18 km bypass for Jalalabad City
Status:
Completion December 2006
WSP services:
Detailed design
Supervision
Surveying
Highway engineering
Structural engineering
Drainage engineering
Geotechnical engineering
significant deterioration of its road network.This is a particular
problem in land-locked Afghanistan, which with no railway links
depends on its roads to enable supplies to enter the country.
The 221 km Kabul-Jalalabad-Torkham Highway is one of the main
roads from Pakistan, linking the port of Karachi in Pakistan to the
Afghan capital, Kabul.The road is of utmost importance, facilitating
trade, humanitarian aid, reconstruction efforts and the return of
Afghan refugees. However, the
highway, which was a good
standard asphalt road when
it was completed in 1969,
has deteriorated into a gravel
road, making the journey long
and tortuous.
Reconstruction of the road is
now under way, with funding
from the European Commission
(EC) for its construction and
from the Swedish International
Development Cooperation
Authority (Sida) for its design.
WSP has been appointed
by Sida to undertake design and
supervision of the reconstruction.
Key requirements are to build a
road of the correct standard for
a national highway, and to ensure
the continuous flow of traffic
throughout construction.
The difference in altitude between Kabul and Jalabad is approximately
1200 m, and the road passes through some extremely mountainous
terrain. One of the main technical challenges for the design team is to
ensure an alignment for the road that fits with the existing alignment
and structures whilst maintaining a reasonable standard throughout.
To ensure that the road remains open throughout the construction
period, it is being constructed half a width at a time in some places.
Elsewhere diversions need to be maintained, of which the longest is
a stretch of approximately 70 km between Kabul and Sarobi, climbing
2200 m through passes that are covered by snow during the winter.
When the reconstruction is complete, travel time between Kabul and
Torkham will be reduced from around seven to less than four hours
and road safety will be greatly increased.The new, strong road will
make a significant and long-lasting contribution to Afghanistan’s
economic recovery.