Construction begins on bridge in Afghanistan's Badakhshan province

Construction has begun on a bridge in Fayzabad, the capital of Badakhshan province, at a cost of 31 million Afghanis funded by local merchants.

Maulvi Jamaluddin Haqju, deputy governor of Badakhshan, stated at the project's inauguration ceremony that the bridge will measure 62 meters long and 8 meters wide. It will span the Kokcha River, connecting the city's sixth district with the fifth district via the Betash area. Haqju noted that the project is one of 17 development initiatives funded by Badakhshan merchants in coordination with the province's Mines and Petroleum Directorate.

Shafiqullah Hafizi, head of the Mines and Petroleum Directorate in Badakhshan, said the bridge aims to reduce traffic congestion, ease citizen movement and address challenges faced by residents on both sides of the route.

Local residents expressed satisfaction with the project's start and called for additional large-scale initiatives, including a 75-megawatt hydroelectric dam on the Kokcha River at Pul-e-Sooch and asphalt paving to reopen the Silk Road highway linking to China.