Frequently Asked Questions

On this page: General | Roads

General

What progress has USAID made in Afghanistan? 

Since 2002, the American people have provided the Afghan people with over $4 billion dollars in development assistance.  This money has produced real results, which are highlighted in each program section of our website: Agriculture, Alternative Development, Democracy & Governance, Economic Growth, Education, Health, Infrastructure, and Provincial Reconstruction. 

Afghanistan has made great strides in the past six years with an elected president and a freely elected and independent minded legislature. Additionally, millions of children, including girls, are back in school and the institutions of government have been rebuilt after being completely destroyed by war. 

In the past 6 years, the USAID alone has built over 680 schools, over 670 health facilities, resurfaced over 2,700 kms of road, and invested more than $4 billion in rebuilding Afghanistan. If you combine these efforts with those of our Coalition partners, those figures jump much higher.  But there is a need for thousands of more schools, clinics, and kilometers of road.  We are working hard, but it will take time.

There is a huge amount to be done.  It will take decades to complete the process, and that international community will continue to work hard in cooperation with the Government of Afghanistan to meet the needs of its people.

How much funding has Congress allocated to Afghanistan?   

The chart on the right shows USAID/Afghanistan obligations from FY2002 - FY2006.  Subsequent Congressional Budget Justifications can be viewed on the USAID website.

USAID programs have been audited by our Inspector General and the GAO multiple times.  While implementation improvements have been recommended, there have been no instances where funds have been misappropriated.  USAID supports the “aid effectiveness” principles contained in Annex 2 of the Afghanistan Compact, and is working with the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and other donors to put into practice the principles and recommendations of the Paris Declaration on the subject. 

Has the increased violence affected USAID projects?

Violence can result in work interruptions and increased costs.  The USAID/Afghanistan mission has suffered over 130 casualties since 2003.  The U.S. Government, however, remains committed to our support of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan’s reconstruction efforts.  As expected, the Taliban have engaged in scattered attacks against civilian leaders, reconstruction workers, and NGOs in an attempt to show that they are gaining momentum.  But NATO/ISAF forces, operating with newly trained and equipped units of the Afghan National Army, have been forcefully countering Taliban efforts. 

Roads

(read more about our Infrastructure programs)

How many roads has USAID built in Afghanistan?

Between 2001 and 2007, USAID completed the construction of 1,700 km of paved roads and over 1,000 km of gravel roads. 

What types of roads does USAID build in Afghanistan?

USAID builds three kinds of roads in Afghanistan: primary roads, secondary roads and tertiary roads:

• The primary roads, such as Kabul’s main Ring Road, are called “regional highways”, connecting Afghanistan with its neighbors and forming the largest road network in the country.
• USAID’s secondary roads, called “national highways”, connect the capital to Afghanistan’s provincial capitals. All regional and national highways are paved.
• And finally, the tertiary roads built by USAID are called “provincial roads” and “district roads” and connect district centers to other district centers and to provincial capitals. These roads are generally paved with a gravel surface.

How does USAID decide what type of road to build?

When making decisions about roads, USAID follows the guidelines established in the 2006 Road Sector Master Plan. This document, created by the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan with assistance from the Asian Development Bank, establishes standards and specifications for roads and has been adopted by all major donors in the country.

In addition, USAID’s primary goal in road construction in Afghanistan is to meet the needs of local communities. To achieve this, USAID also consults with representatives from provincial development councils to make joint decisions about the roads, including length and type.  Together, they determine the best and most cost-effective strategy for creating roads to increase commerce, security and political stability.

What is the cost of building a road?

Because USAID-funded roads are designed to address the needs of local populations, construction costs can vary significantly. Building in rough terrain and through unstable landforms substantially increases the price of construction, while security costs depend on the volatility of a work area. Additionally, different road types require different levels of resources. Roads designed to facilitate transport of heavy goods and higher traffic volumes receive thicker asphalting and engineering support, while district roads linking local communities need only a stabilized, gravel surface.

Due to the fact that costs can vary greatly depending on terrain, security and road type, any comparison of costs is best done on a unit rate basis, not per kilometer.  For instance, how much is being paid for a ton of asphalt, or a cubic meter of embankment, or cubic meter of reinforced concrete.  Our unit costs are comparable with those incurred by the military.

Why does USAID use foreign contractors when U.S. military project costs appear lower?

Although U.S. military project costs may appear to be lower than USAID’s, they are, in fact, comparable when built to similar standards and all costs (including security) are considered on a unit rate basis. In a country like Afghanistan, where construction often takes place in rural, unsecured areas, these are significant factors which can increase the cost of a project substantially.

Project size is also a major variable in project costs. For example, smaller projects in support of operational strategies and initiatives designed to facilitate “quick wins” often focus on provincial/rural roads that are less traveled, or traveled with lighter weight vehicles requiring less structural build-up.

Why does USAID use foreign contractors when they can do the same thing for less with Afghan contractors?

While preoccupied in decades of war, Afghan laborers lost valuable skills in the fighting and were unable to keep up-to-date on advances in construction techniques.  USAID seeks to rebuild this capacity by hiring professional contractors who will pass on their modern expertise to the Afghan employees who make up at least 80% of their project staff. This ensures the quality of the roads while simultaneously imparting modern skills to the people of Afghanistan, empowering them to maintain the roads and building their capacity to independently initiate future projects.

Already, the capacity of Afghan contractors has increased rapidly. Today, over half of USAID’s current contracts are being implemented by Afghan contractors, and the percentage is expected to increase.

How long does it take to build a road? 

Depending on the road’s type, size and terrain, construction can take between 18 and 24 months. A large portion of this time is invested in laying a solid foundation for construction, including terrain studies, design, procurement and mobilization. In general, large foreign contractors have the capacity to complete between 3 to 5 kms per month, while local contractors average between .05 and 2 kms per month.

What is the typical lifespan of a road?   

The life cycle of a road depends on a number of factors, including traffic volumes, climate and maintenance. If a USAID road is properly maintained, the asphalt roads will last 10 years before requiring an overlay, while gravel roads need to be re-graveled every 5 years.

How does USAID measure the social and economic impact of a road? 

USAID tries to measure the social and economic impact of a road in terms of reduced vehicle costs, including lower transport costs (e.g., for agricultural production to/from markets), travel times and passenger fares. Other considerations are an increase in the number of businesses, increased volume of traffic and additional freight moving along the road.

Successful roads will also result in a stronger society, giving communities increased access to health, education, markets, and government services.