Photo By 1st Lt. Tyler Dovel | Afghan construction workers clear massive boulders from a rock slide on Highway 7 at...... read more read more
Story by: First Lt. Ian McBride
LAGHMAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan — In the early morning hours of March 15, along Highway 7 near Jalalabad a sudden rumbling was the telltale sign of an impending rock slide that eventually blocked the main road from Kabul to Jalalabad and into Pakistan.
Traffic backed up for miles on each side of the rock slide.
While International Security Assistance Forces were notified of the rock slide, the local governance had already sprung into action mobilizing Afghan National Security Force personnel and construction equipment.
The enormous boulders, towering well more than 8 feet (2.5 meters) tall, could not be pushed out of the way with bulldozers. This caused immediate concern with the Afghan workers on site, thinking they might not be able to move the boulders out of their way.
Their worries eased when the heavy construction equipment coordinated for by the provincial government began rolling onto the scene.
The primary task was to clear an initial path through the fallen rock so that the road was once again passable, even if only a single lane was opened. Through Afghan ingenuity, they were able to shave sides off of some of the colossal boulders, while digging around the others, to open up a narrow, but passable lane for traffic to flow through.
Cars and trucks were forced to weave around the boulders, and though some spots were a tight squeeze, they were able to make it through the rubble.
After the initial lane was opened the construction crews headed home for the night, knowing the daunting task that awaited them in the morning.
With the morning sun rising in the east, the local police and construction crews arrived back on scene of the rock slide. Police blocked off traffic looking out for the safety of the local populace, while construction crews demolished the boulders.
The crew had brought a hydraulic jackhammer on site, and the sounds of rocks being crushed could be heard for a great distance as the boulders were broken into smaller pieces.
A coalition route clearance patrol, from the 937th clearance company, Fort Bragg, clearing Highway 7 was sent out to assess the situation. Upon encountering the site, it was clear to them that the Afghan construction effort was making progress clearing the road without outside help.
After three days and a continued effort, the boulders were removed from the road and traffic was allowed to flow once again on the main route between the capital city of Kabul and Jalalabad.
The ANSF and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA), through their diligent effort, demonstrated that they are capable of taking the lead on projects that directly affect the local populace without any assistance from coalition forces.
The rapid mobilization of construction and police forces to the rock slide provides an example of how far GIRoA has progressed and is a great stepping stone for their ability to sustain construction operations and support the people of Afghanistan.
| Date Taken: | 03.20.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 03.21.2013 05:38 |
| Story ID: | 103852 |
| Location: | LAGHMAN PROVINCE, AF |
| Web Views: | 173 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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