Highway 1 (Afghanistan)

With everything that’s going on in Afghanistan at the moment, you’d imagine that there’s a fair few dangerous roads over there and you’d more than likely be right! The Kabul-Kandahar Highway part is a 483-kilometer (300-mile) road linking Afghanistan's two largest cities, Kabul and Kandahar.

This Highway 1 or A01, formally called the Ring Road, is a key portion of Afghanistan's national road system or "Ring Road"a 2,200 kilometer nationwide highway network circulating Afghanistan, connecting Kabul, Ghazni, Kandahar, Farah, Herat, and Mazar. It has extensions that also connect Jalalabad, Delaram, Islam Qala, and several other cities. Approximately 35 percent of Afghanistan's population lives within 50 kilometers of the Kabul to Kandahar portion of the Ring Road. Highway 1 runs through the notorious Hindu Kush mountains and was in major disrepair due to over two decades of war and neglect. The United States funded the repair and rebuilding of 389 kilometers of road, while Japan funded 50 kilometers. 43 kilometers of the highway were already usable prior to the repairs. The rebuilding project was overseen by the Louis Berger Group, 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. The journey used to take travelers two days but now takes about 6 hours.

 Tyler Hicks/The New York Times

The US-led coalition invested heavily in Highway one and it was seen as a symbol of progress which only makes it a further target for the Taliban and militias! The militias consistently target anyone travelling down the road acting as self-appointed ‘traffic police’ and often kill anyone that doesn’t comply! If you manage to avoid the ‘traffic police’ and roadside IEDs, you’ve still got to worry about the threat of Taliban ambush. The Taliban and other insurgents seem to target anyone and everyone that travels down this American built road. If their aim is to stop people using it then they’ve certainly convinced us! As of early 2004, Taliban rebels continued to harass travelers of the corridor. Afghan guards, soldiers and workers have been killed along the route. In October 2003, they kidnapped a Turkish contractor, and that December they kidnapped two Indian workers. In February 2004, Taliban rebels shot down a Louis Berger Group helicopter, killing three.

In March 2004, rebels murdered a Turkish engineer and an Afghan guard. Another Turkish engineer and a translator were kidnapped. This action prompted the United States to set up small civilian-military teams in three locations along the route.

Afghans who use the road warn that it has become exceedingly treacherous, with Taliban and other armed gangs frequently kidnapping and killing travelers between the capital and the southern city of Kandahar. But British forces in Afghanistan are now engaged in their first operation in Kandahar Province for five years. They're helping to secure the Highway One. The highway was a frequent target for Taliban attacks until British forces arrived in December 2010.