Asphalting of a section of the Kabul-Kandahar highway began on Saturday in the presence of the Prime Minister’s Deputy for Economic Affairs Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.

Arghandi-Bazaar Durrani road is 27 kilometers long, 11 meters wide, and has two major bridges and 60 culverts. The project will cost about one billion Afghanis, which is being financed by the Islamic Emirate.

“Our request is that all the contracting companies increase their efforts to speed up their work so that the project will be completed soon and the problems of passengers on this route will be solved,” Mullah Baradar said at the ceremony to launch the project.

The project is scheduled to be completed within one year.

Members of the private sector called the reconstruction of the Kabul-Kandahar highway important for the growth of the country’s economy and transit and emphasized that the project will be executed in accordance with the contract.

“There has been a significant increase in the transportation of passengers, the export of fresh and dried fruit, transit and trade, and all criteria will be considered in the implementation of this project,” Mohammad Yunus Mohmand, deputy of the Chamber of Commerce and Investment, said.

Najibullah Jalalzai, head of the contracting company said: “The quality of the road will be high. The thickness of bitumen is 21 cm. We will try to complete the project in seven months.”

Officials of the Ministry of Public Works also asked the contracting company to consider the standards in the construction of the road.