Press Release

President Karzai, Ambassador Wood witnesses contract signing for Khost-Gardez Road construction

KABUL  | Monday, April 28, 2008

On Saturday, April 26, 2008, President Karzai and U.S. Ambassador William B. Wood witnessed the signing of a contract for the development of a 101 kilometer road funded by the United States Government through the Agency for International Development (USAID) that will connect Khost and Paktia provinces to the Ring Road and Kabul.

According to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, this road is one of the most important road projects in eastern Afghanistan, due to the prominence of Khost as an economic center and its strategic location near the Pakistan border region of Waziristan, a primary route for internally displaced persons and returning refugees.

When completed in late 2009, this road will reduce both time and cost of travel from Khost to Kabul by four hours, increasing economic opportunities. The road will facilitate transport of surplus food from Khost to areas in Afghanistan where there are food deficits, and will facilitate agricultural exports from Khost. Additionally, the road will increase international trade through access to Pakistan’s nearby railhead, which will provide a shorter, alternative route for freight to Kabul and relieve freight traffic on the Torkum Gate-Jalalabad-Kabul route.

Although Khost is historically isolated in the winter months, USAID provided winter maintenance this year that kept the key road open. The $98 million Khost-Gardez road improvements will provide the province with an all-weather, asphalt road that will connect this province to Gardez, Kabul, and the Ring Road.