The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has completed Phase I paving completion of the 389-kilometer (243 miles) Kabul to Kandahar highway - this portion of the so-called Ring Road links Afghanistan’s 2nd and 3rd largest cities, Kandahar and Heart, to the Afghan capitol of Kabul. The road suffered considerable deterioration and destruction during nearly two-and-a-half decades of civil war and from lack of infrastructure investment. The road was originally constructed by the U.S. in the 1950’s during the Eisenhower Administration.

In total, more than 1,000 kilometers of rural roads have been rehabilitated or constructed in Afghanistan through USAID support. Rehabilitation of the road is expected to lead to increased access to clinics, hospitals, schools and markets, and provide farmers with greater opportunities to move their products to market. To date, the project has employed over 2,000 Afghan construction personnel.