Afghanistan: U.S.- and Internationally-Funded Roads 

(GAO-09-626SP), an E-supplement to GAO-09-473SP 

Read the Full Report: Afghanistan: Key Issues for Congressional Oversight (GAO-09-473SP, April 2009) 

National Highways in Afghanistan 

igure 2: USAID-Funded Roads in Afghanistan 

and Funding Levels by Provinces

Background Information 

 its Afgh ategy, n conjunction with international donors, 

established the goal of completing a fully upgraded by the end of 2008. The construction of 

e regional highways was a top road reconstructi e Afghan government and international donors, as 

these roads were expected to foster regional trade and contribute to Afghanistan’s economic development. The 

mitted more than $1.5 billion for the over-3,200-kilometers-long regional 

highway network and had completed about 60 percent (1,954 kilometers) of these highways as of February 2008 

e 

 was 

 

Click here 

to go to 

DONOR

map

Click here

to go to 

USAID 

map 

Figure 1: Donor-Funded Regional and

F

In anistan National Development Str the Afghan government, i

regional highway network 

th on priority of th

United States and other donors com

(see figs. 1 and 2). The United States, through USAID, had completed the construction of the 715 kilometers of the 

regional highways it funded. In addition, it also managed the construction for the 115-kilometer-long Saudi-funded 

section, which is complete. As of February 2008, construction of an additional 29 percent (932 kilometers) of the 

regional highway network was ongoing and donors had committed funding but had yet to start construction of th

remaining 11 percent (354 kilometers).1 Completion of at least 300 kilometers of the regional highway network

not expected until December 2009, in part because funding was not committed until September 2006. 

A more detailed discussion of our scope and methodology is contained in our report Afghanistan Reconstruction: 

Progress Made in Constructing Roads, but Assessments for Determining Impact and a Sustainable Maintenance 

Program Are Needed (GAO-08-689, July 2008). 

1

These roads include about 160 kilometers of highways for which the Afghan government has committed funds. 

Page 1 GAO-09-626SP, an E-supplement to GAO-09-473SP
Figure 1: Donor-Funded Regional and National Highways in Afghanistan 

CHINA 

Interactive features:

 Roll your mouse over this UZBEKISTAN
 

symbol on each road for more 


details on that road section.
 TAJIKISTAN 

TURKMENISTAN 

Click here
 

to go to 
 Jowzjan USAID 


map
 Kunduz 

Badakhshan See appendix for project details. Ba Takhar lkh 

Samangan Faryab Baghlan 

Sar-e Pol Panjshir 

Nurestan Badghis Bamyan Konar Kapisa

Parwan Laghman 

Kabul
 

Herat
 Wardak Lowgar Ghor Nangarhar 

AFGHANISTAN 

Regional highway Khost Daikondi Ghazni Paktia Provincial boundary 

Uruzgan Country capital
 

Farah
 Provincial capital 

Donor-funded road network Paktika Afghanistan Zabul Asian Development Bank 

European Union 

India

Iran 

IRAN Italy Nimruz Kandahar PAKISTAN Japan Helmand 

Pakistan 

Saudi Arabia

United States (USAID) 

World Bank 

Islamic Development Bank INDIA 

0 110 220 kilometers

0 68 130 miles

Source: GAO analysis of data from the Consultative Group for the Transport Sector and USAID. 

Note: Data valid as of February 2008. 

Page 2 GAO-09-626SP, an E-supplement to GAO-09-473SP
Kandahar - Herat Road 

Kabul - Kandahar Road

Figure 2: US AID-Funded Roads in Afghanistan and Funding Levels by Province 

CHINA 

Interactive features:

 Roll your mouse over this UZBEKISTAN
 

symbol on each road for more 


details on that road section.
 TAJIKISTAN 

TURKMENISTAN

Click here
 

to go to Feyzabad
 Jowzjan DONOR Mazar-e Sharif map Kunduz Taloqan Kunduz 

Sheberghan Badakhshan See appendix for project details . Ba Takhar lkh 

Sar-e Pol Aybak Meymaneh 

Pol-e Khomri Samangan Faryab Baghlan 

Sar-e Pol Panjshir 

Nurestan Badghis Bamyan Bazarak Konar Nurestan Qal’eh-ye Now Kapisa Asadabad Bamyan Kapisa Charikar 

Parwan Laghman Kabul Mehtar Lam 

Chaghcharan Jalalabad Maidanshahr Kabul Herat 

Herat Wardak Lowgar Ghor Pol-e ’Alam Nangarhar 

AFGHANISTAN Khadir Regional highway Gardez 

Ghazni Khost Provincial boundary Daikondi Ghazni Paktia Khost Country capital 

Uruzgan Sharan Provincial capitals Farah 

Farah 

Tarin Kowt USAID-funded road network 

Regional highway Paktika Saudi funded; USAID implemented 

Zabul Qalat National highways

Kandahar Road projects canceled 

District center with road construction 

District roads Lashgar Gah Farah 

IRAN Nimruz Zaranj Kandahar Helm PAKISTAN and Less than $10 million USAID funding 

$10 million – $38 million USAID funding 

Greater than $38 million USAID fundinga

0 110 220 kilometers INDIA 

0 68 130 miles

Source: GAO analysis of USAID data. 

a

USAID provided an average of $38 million for road reconstruction as part of its infrastructure 

program in 28 out of 34 provinces. 

Note: Data valid as of February 2008. 

Page 3 GAO-09-626SP, an E-supplement to GAO-09-473SP
Appendix II: USAID and Other Donor Road 

Project Data 

No. Road projects Donor (Implementer) 

Fundinga

(U.S. dollars 

in millions) Kilometers Status 

Regional highways 

1 Kabul-Kandahar (Sections B to F) USAID (LBG) $311 389 Complete 

2 Kabul-Kandahar (Section G) Japan 29 50 Complete 

Kandahar-Herat (Section 1) 100 114 Ongoing 

3 Kandahar-Herat (Section 2) Saudi Arabia 52 116 Complete 

USAID (implementer) 13

4 Delaram-Zaranj India 84 216 Ongoing 

5 Kandahar-Herat 

(Sections 3 to 5) 

USAID (LBG) 181 326 Complete 

6 Herat-Islam Qala Iran 45 120 Complete 

Herat-Armalik 25 60 Complete 

7 Herat-Torghondi Afghanistan 30 119 Pending 

8 Armalik-Lemanb Islamic Development Bank 10 50 Pending 

9 Leman-Bala MurghabcAsian Development Bank 176 143 Pending 

Bala Murghab-Qaysar 55 90 Ongoing 

Qaysar-Andkhoy 75 210 Ongoing 

Andkhoy-Mazar-e Sharif 36 182 Complete 

Mazar-e Sharif-Pol-e KhomriHayratan 34 265 Ongoing 

10 Andkhoy-Aquina Islamic Development Bank 20 37 Ongoing 

11 Pol-e Khomri-Kunduz-Sher Khan 

Bandar and Kunduz-Taloqan 

World Bank 30 232 Complete 

Pol-e Khomri-Kabul 68 202 Complete 

Pol-e Khomri-Doshi Islamic Development Bank Unknown Unknown 

12 Kabul-Jalalabad European Commissiond66 142 Complete 

13 Jalalabad-Torkham Pakistan 50 74 Complete 

14 Kandahar-Spin Boldak Asian Development Banke25 61 Complete 

Kandahar-Spin Boldak Afghanistan 13 42 Pending 

Subtotalf1,528 3,240 

National highways 

15 Kabul-Gardez USAID (LBG and UNOPS) 47 120 Complete 

16 Gardez- Khost USAID (LBG/B&V) 69 98 Ongoing 

17 Lashgar Gah-Ring road USAID (UNOPS) 13 49 Complete 

18 Ghazni-Sharan USAID (UNOPS) 20 63 Complete 

19 Pol-e Alam-Ring road USAID (UNOPS) 7 35 Complete 

Appendix: USAID and Other Donor Road 

Project Data 

Page 4 GAO-09-626SP, an E-supplement to GAO-09-473SP
No. Road projects Donor (Implementer) 

Fundinga

(U.S. dollars 

in millions) Kilometers Status 

20 Farah-Ring road USAID (UNOPS) 18 68 Complete 

21 Panjshir Valley road USAID (UNOPS) 21 67 Complete 

22 Ghazni-Gardez USAID (LBG/B&V) 63 102 Ongoing 

23 Sheberghan-Sar-e Pol USAID (UNOPS) 15 54 Complete 

24 Keshim-Feyzabad USAID (LBG/B&V) 118 103 Ongoing 

25 Kandahar-Tarin Kowt USAID (UNOPS) 25 149 Complete 

26 Jalalabad-Asmar USAID (UNOPS) 38 121 Complete 

27 Mazar-e Sharif-Dara i Suf Asian Development Bank 69 151 Pending 

28 Yakawlang-Bamyan 59 99 Pending 

29 Maidanshahr-Bamyan Segment 1 Italy 31 54 Ongoing 

Maidanshahr-Ounai Pass Segment 2 72 82 Ongoing 

30 Taloqan-Keshim World Bank 22 68 Ongoing 

31 Kajaki Dam-Ring roadgUSAID (LBG/B&V) 5 0 Terminated 

32 Charikar-Bamyan World Bank 5 160 Pending 

Subtotal 716 1,644 

Total for regional and national highways 2,243 4,883 

Provincial roads 

33 Kandahar-Bikah USAID (UNOPS) 24 94 Ongoing 

34 Spin Boldak-Bikah USAID (USACE) 20 68 Ongoing 

35 Bikah-Shinkayg USAID 13 71 Terminated 

36 District Center Roads (various) USAID (UNOPS) 8 78 Complete 

37 District Roads (various) USAID (UNOPS) 21 105 Complete 

38 Urban Roads (2) USAID (LBG and UNOPS) $5 5 Complete 

Total for provincial roads $91 420 

Source: GAO analysis of data from USAID and the Consultative Group for the Transport Sector. 

a

Funding represents funds spent for completed projects and committed for ongoing and pending 

projects. 

b

The government of Afghanistan is in negotiations with the Asian Development Bank for an additional 

$10 million for the reconstruction of this road section. 

c

The government of Afghanistan will contribute an additional $4 million to this project. 

d

The Swedish International Development Agency contributed funds for this project. 

e

Asian Development Bank funding for this project includes contributions from the governments of 

Kuwait and Japan. 

f

Funding data have been rounded and therefore may not precisely match the total. 

g

These road projects have been terminated due to poor security conditions. 

Note: Data valid as of February 2008.

Page 5 GAO-09-626SP, an E-supplement to GAO-09-473SP
Contact Information 

If you have questions concerning these graphics, please contact Charles Michael Johnson, Jr. at (202) 512-7331 or 

johnsoncm@gao.gov. 

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Front cover: Map Resources (map silhouette icons) 

Figure 1: Map Resources (map) 

Figure 2: Map Resources (map) 

Page 6 GAO-09-626SP, an E-supplement to GAO-09-473SP