DUSHANBE, August 23, Asia-Plus — A bridge across the Panj River that will consolidate permanent overland links between Tajikistan and Afghanistan is set to open in few days, an article “Bridge Connecting Tajikistan and Afghanistan Set to Open” by David Trilling posted on the Eurasianet website said.
The United States, which supplied most of the funding and know-how for the project, hopes the bridge will promote regional stabilization.
The article, in particular, said that in recent years, trade between Afghanistan and Tajikistan has depended upon sporadic ferry service across the Panj River, connecting the Tajik town of Panji Poyon and Sher Khan Bandar on the Afghan side. The ferry’s relatively small size limited the number of trucks that could traverse the border to roughly 50 per day. In addition, the ferry is not operational for several months of the year due to hazardous currents, according to a 2005 statement issued by the US Embassy in Dushanbe.
According to Tajik and Afghan officials, the new bridge will allow for as many as 1,000 trucks a day to cross the border, greatly increasing the flow of goods between Central Asia and South Asia., the article said.
The article noted that more than 600 local workers helped build the bridge, with Afghans now helping their Tajik counterparts complete the necessary customs infrastructure. Though the buildings will not be ready in time for the opening, they should be operational later this year.
Construction on the $37-million span began two years ago. The span stands to especially benefit Tajikistan, where external trade has suffered from a lack of efficient and reliable overland trade routes.
We will recall that the groundbreaking ceremony for the bridge was held on June 16, 2005. Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Afghan President Hamid Karzai, and U.S. Ambassador to Tajikistan Richard Hoagland attended the ceremony.
The length of the bridge across the Panj River is 672 meters, and the width is 11.6 meters.
