Highway 1 (Afghanistan)

National Highway 01 or NH01, formally called the Ring Road (Pashto: د افغانستان حلقوي سړک‎; Dari: شاهراه حلقوی افغانستان‎), is an ancient 2,200 kilometres (1,400 mi) two-lane road network circulating inside Afghanistan, connecting the following major cities (clockwise): Kabul, Maidan Shar, Ghazni, Kandahar, Delaram, Herat, Maymana, Sheberghan, Mazari Sharif, Puli Khumri and back to Kabul. It was originally built and maintained by the Mauryan Empire, and is well documented in Greek and Buddhist sources from the 4th century BCE onward. An important arterial road for the region, it fell occasionally into disrepair but never into disuse; many rulers who held sway over sections of the road are known to have renovated it over and over again, and these include Sher Shah Suri, the Mughal Empire and the British Empire. It has extensions that also connect Jalalabad, Bamyan, Khost, Lashkargah, Zaranj (Route 606), Farah, Islam Qala, Torghundi, and Kunduz. It is part of AH1, the longest route of the Asian Highway Network. National Highway 01 is broken up into four major sections, NH0101-0104, linking the major economic centers of Afghanistan.[1]

National Highway 1
Route information
Part of
Highway system
Highways in Afghanistan

Kabul–Kandahar Highway Highway around Wardak Province in 2010

Somewhere on the Kabul–Jalalabad Road

Part of National Highway 1 has been refurbished since late 2003, particularly the Kabul–Kandahar Highway, with funds provided by the United States, Saudi Arabia and others. Most work on that stretch was done by Turkish, Indian and local companies. Japanese companies were also involved near the southern Afghan province of Kandahar. In the west, Iran participated in the two-lane road construction between Islam Qala and the western Afghan city of Herat. Pakistan rebuilt the Jalalabad–Kabul Road.

Kabul - Kandahar

The Kabul–Kandahar Highway (NH0101) is a 483-kilometer (300 mi) section of National Highway 01 two of Afghanistan's largest cities, Kabul and Kandahar.[2] This highway is a key portion of the Ring Road. Approximately 35 percent of Afghanistan's population lives within 50 km (31 mi) of the Kabul to Kandahar portion of the Ring Road.

The Kabul-Kandahar highway underwent major repairs carried out by the United States and Japanese governments with assistance in planning and design by Turkish and Indian engineers. Phase one of paving was completed in December 2003 and the highway was opened to traffic.[3] However, the road has badly deteriorated since that time, from heavy trucks and also from terrorist sabotage. Furthermore, armed guards must protect highway repair crews from ambushes. Banditry and extortion at Taliban checkpoints continue to be problems.[4]

Kandahar - Herat

The sections of National Highway 01 running between Kandahar and Herat, include NH0101, running from Kandahar to Delaram, and NH0102, running from Delaram to Herat.[5]

Kabul - Jalalabad

National Highway 8 (NH08) runs from Jalalabad - Kabul, following the Tang-e Gharu gorge, parallel to the Kabul River, for 64 kilometres (40 mi).[6] The two-lane Kabul Gorge highway runs along 600 metres (2,000 ft) cliffs. Fatal traffic accidents occur in this area, mainly due to reckless driving.[7]

See also

• Transport in Afghanistan

Notes

1. "Application of Road Numbering System National Highway", Archived 2017-05-07 at the Wayback Machine The Ministry of Public Works (October 16, 2015)
2. "Application of Road Numbering System National Highway"
3. USAID Press Release: Afghans Celebrate Phase I Completion of Kabul to Kandahar Highway Archived 2011-10-20 at the Wayback Machine
4. Goldstein, Joseph; Muzhary, Fazal (24 March 2015). "Attack by Gunmen on Afghan Highway Unnerves Travelers". New York Times. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
5. "Application of Road Numbering System National Highway"
6. "Application of Road Numbering System National Highway"
7. Dexter Filkins, "Sarobi Journal: On Afghan Road, Scenes of Beauty and Death", The New York Times (February 7, 2010)