The Tajikistan–Afghanistan Friendship Bridge (russian: Мост дружбы) connects the two banks of
Darvaz region across the
Panj River
The Panj (russian: Пяндж; fa, رودخانه پنج) (; tg, Панҷ, پنج), traditionally known as the Ochus River and also known as ''Pyandzh'' (derived from its Russian name "Пяндж"), is a tributary of the Amu Darya. The river ...
(further downstream known under the name
Amu Darya
The Amu Darya, tk, Amyderýa/ uz, Amudaryo// tg, Амударё, Amudaryo ps, , tr, Ceyhun / Amu Derya grc, Ὦξος, Ôxos (also called the Amu, Amo River and historically known by its Latin name or Greek ) is a major river in Central Asi ...
) separating
Tajikistan
Tajikistan (, ; tg, Тоҷикистон, Tojikiston; russian: Таджикистан, Tadzhikistan), officially the Republic of Tajikistan ( tg, Ҷумҳурии Тоҷикистон, Jumhurii Tojikiston), is a landlocked country in Centr ...
and
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is borde ...
,
[
][
][
] at the town of
Qal'ai Khumb. It was opened on 6 July 2004.
Overview
Inaugurated by Tajikistan's President
Emomali Rahmon, Afghanistan's Vice-President
Nematullah Shahrani and
Imam Aga Khan in July, 2004, the bridge was built at a cost of
USD $500,000 by the
Aga Khan Development Network
The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) is a network of private, non-denominational (de jure) development agencies founded by the Aga Khan that work primarily in the poorest parts of Asia and Africa. Aga Khan IV succeeded to the office of the 49t ...
(AKDN) with collaborative support from the governments of the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
and
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of ...
.
[
It was the second in a series of bridges being built between Tajikistan and Afghanistan by the AKDN along the Panj River. (The Amu Darya begins at the junction of the ]Panj River
The Panj (russian: Пяндж; fa, رودخانه پنج) (; tg, Панҷ, پنج), traditionally known as the Ochus River and also known as ''Pyandzh'' (derived from its Russian name "Пяндж"), is a tributary of the Amu Darya. The river ...
and Vakhsh River
The Vakhsh ( Russian and Tajik: Вахш - ''Vaxsh'', fa, وخش), also known as the Surkhob (Сурхоб, سرخاب), in north-central Tajikistan, and the Kyzyl-Suu ( ky, Кызыл-Суу), in Kyrgyzstan, is a Central Asian river, and one o ...
.)
The 135-metre long suspension bridge has a single-track 3.5 meters wide and a carrying capacity of 25 metric tonnes.[ It carries both commercial and passenger traffic and represents a permanent overland link between the two countries.
]
Other Tajikistan-Afghanistan bridges
The first bridge crossing the Tajik-Afghan border was opened in November 2002, connecting Tem in Tajikistan and Demogan in Afghanistan.[ It too was constructed with assistance from the Aga Khan Foundation.
An additional bridge, connecting Tajikistan and Afghanistan, spanning the Panj river, at Panji Poyon (]Nizhni Pyanj
Panji Poyon ( tg, Панҷи Поён), also known since the times of the Soviet Union as Nizhny Panj (from russian: Нижний Пяндж, Nizhniy Pyandzh) is a border checkpoint on the Tajik side of the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border. Both Ta ...
), was opened on 26 August 2007.[
][
][
]
There are plans to span the border with an additional bridge, spanning the Panj river, in Gorno Badakhshan's Khumroghi area near Vanj tg, Ванҷ ونج
, settlement_type = Village and Jamoat
, image_skyline = Vanj gas station.jpg
, imagesize =
, image_caption = Vanj gas station
, image_flag =
, image_seal ...
.[
]
See also
*Tajik–Afghan bridge at Panji Poyon
The Tajikistan-Afghanistan bridge spanning the Panj River between Panji Poyon (or Nizhniy Pyandzh), Tajikistan and Sherkhan Bandar, Afghanistan was opened on 26 August 2007.
The two lane bridge is long and wide. It cost approximately $ ...
*Tajik–Afghan bridge at Tem-Demogan
The Tajik–Afghan bridge at Tem-Demogan was opened on 3 November 2002.
It spans the Panj River. It was the first of four bridges planned to be built with the assistance of the Aga Khan Foundation.
Tem is a microdistrict of Khorugh, ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tajik-Afghan Friendship Bridge
Afghanistan–Tajikistan border crossings
Bridges completed in 2004
International bridges
Suspension bridges in Afghanistan
Suspension bridges in Tajikistan
Road bridges in Afghanistan
2004 establishments in Afghanistan
2004 establishments in Tajikistan