Kabul–kandahar Highway

The Kabul–Kandahar Highway (NH0101) is a road linking Afghanistan's two largest cities, Kabul and Kandahar, passing through Maidan Shar, Saydabad, Ghazni, and Qalati Ghilji. This highway is a key portion of Afghanistan's national highway system or "National Highway 1". The entire highway from Kandahar to Kabul is on flat surface, with no mountain passes. Approximately 35 percent of Afghanistan's population lives within of the Kabul to Kandahar portion of the Ring Road.

Overview

The Kabul-Kandahar highway was in major disrepair due to over two decades of war and neglect. The United States funded the repair and rebuilding of of road (at a cost of about $190 million), while Japan funded . About of the highway were already usable prior to the repairs. The rebuilding project was overseen by the Louis Berger Group, with assistance in planning and design by Turkish and Indian engineers. Phase one of paving was completed in December 2003 and the highway was opened to traffic. The journey from Kandahar to Kabul generally took travelers 18 hours but, since the rebuilding, has been shortened to roughly 6 hours.

Route

The Kabul–Kandahar Highway traverses the provinces of Kabul, Maidan Wardak, Ghazni, Zabul, and Kandahar.

Deaths

As of early 2004, Taliban fighters continued to harass travelers of the corridor. Afghan guards, soldiers, mercenaries, and workers have been killed along the route. In October 2003, they kidnapped a Turkish contractor, and that December they kidnapped two Indian workers. In February 2004, Taliban rebels shot down a Louis Berger Group helicopter, killing three.

In March 2004, rebels murdered a Turkish engineer and an Afghan guard. Another Turkish engineer and a translator were kidnapped. This action prompted the United States to set up small civilian-military teams in three locations along the route. These teams no longer exist.

On May 8, 2016, a major vehicular crash killed at least 73 and injured over 50 people along the Kabul-Kandahar highway in Moqor District of Ghazni Province. Two buses traveling from Kabul to Kandahar collided with a fuel tanker, causing a fiery inferno. The vehicles were reportedly speeding to avoid ambush by the Taliban."Fuel-tanker crash kills over 70 in Afghanistan's Ghazni". Al-Jazeera May 8, 2016. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/05/afghanistan-road-crash-ghazni-160508115025713.html
At least 35 persons died in September 2016 when a fuel tanker collided with a passenger bus.

See also

* Kandahar–Herat Highway

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kabul-Kandahar Highway
Transport in Kabul
Kandahar
Roads in Afghanistan