Building a Bridge in Panjshir
On June 27, 2007, a flash flood ravaged parts of the Rokha District. That day, within meters of the site for a future bridge, 23 people lost their lives when their bus washed off the Molakhel road. This stretch was one of two in Rokha that were destroyed by the floods. The roads have since been temporarily repaired, but vehicular traffic and water from a nearby stream are eroding them and creating very hazardous conditions.
Now, the situation has improved.
More than 100 people gathered today to watch as Haji Bahlol, the Panjshir province governor, officiated the Molakhel Bridge-groundbreaking ceremony. The event signified the start of a four-month, $116,000 construction project for the Rokha District, Panjshir province.
Historically, construction in the area has not proved successful.
Just three months prior to the flood, the first stretch of paved road was completed in the Panjshir province. The 48-kilometer road stretched from the southern tip of the province, known as the Lion’s Gate, to just past the provincial center in Bazarak.
The road was a major symbol of the economic rejuvenation in the once war-ravaged province. Its completion reduced travel time through the southern portion of the valley to the capital city of Kabul.
After the flood, engineers from the Panjshir Provincial Reconstruction Team realized the crossing was far less dependable than originally expected.
A new plan was developed.
The damage left showed that just reinforcing the road would not be adequate to help withstand the power of future natural disasters. Therefore, a combined effort of provincial engineers and the PRT came up with the right solution to the problem: a bridge.
“I want to thank the PRT for our continued cooperation,” said Bahlol, who knew the task was not an easy one.
“The PRT worked hard to get this project and we all thank them for all of their hard work,” continued the governor, motioning to the villagers in attendance.
PRT engineers believe the bridge will help in other ways too.
“Before the flood, the original road crossed over box culverts,” said Air Force Capt. Kenneth McGinnis, a Panjshir PRT engineer. “The road designers thought the water would be able to flow through the culvert, but the June 2007 flood waters were too powerful and quickly overtook not only the culvert but the road itself.
“In those conditions, where the force of the water is so great, a bridge is more likely to survive than a road,” continued McGinnis, who is deployed from Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. “The project will sidestep the existing roadway and create a real bridge that allows the water to flow unrestricted.”
The bridge construction takes into account forces of nature, such as erosion.
“Instead of the roadway which has been eroded to less than 5 meters in width, the new bridge will be a 7.5 meter-wide, reinforced concrete structure with layered asphalt stretching across the 24-meter span,” said McGinnis. “It will also have added safety measures such as stone masonry side walls and one-meter-high railings.”
Local villagers in attendance, as well as the governor, voiced their safety concerns relating to the current and temporary road, which the bridge will alleviate.
“Last year’s flood was devastating to the people of Rokha when the road was washed out and many people died as a result,” said Bahlol. “Having a safe roadway is very important for all of Panjshir and especially to the people living right here in Rokha. This will be a better roadway for the cars and a better walkway for the safety of all of the people traveling through Panjshir.”
The current roadway will be temporarily maintained as an alternate route until the new bridge is completed. Once the bridge is completed, the contractor will remove the old roadway and culverts to allow the water to once again flow freely.
DVIDS
U.S. Air Force Capt. Jillian Torango
Task Force Cincinnatus Public Affairs
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