Marine Engineers Repairs to Most Trafficked Route in Helmand Province

KABUL, Afghanistan
Approximately 40 combat engineers and engineer equipment operators with Combat Logistics Battalion 3, 1st Marine Logistics Group (Forward), completed repairs to more than 10 miles of roadway in Helmand province, this month.

The road spans nearly 20 miles (32 kilometers) along the Helmand River and is considered the busiest stretch of road in Helmand province.

Areas near the Helmand River are densely populated with Afghan citizens who use the road to transport livestock, agricultural equipment and other commercial products.

However, the frequency of use throughout the years had damaged several portions of the road, which forced larger vehicles to find alternative routes to reach their destinations, Staff Sgt. Julio Z. Castro said, project foreman, Engineer Company, Combat Logistics Battalion 3, 1st Marine Logistics Group (Forward). In order to alleviate these challenges for Afghan citizens and military units, combat engineers began repairing the route in November.

After three months of work, the combat engineers had successfully completed repairs on more than 10 miles (16 km) of the road. These repairs included widening and leveling the road by installing more than 2,200 feet (700 meters) of retaining walls for reinforcement, constructing several bridges over waterways and spreading approximately 30,000 cubic yards of gravel for stability.

“The purpose of this mission was to make the route trafficable by any kind of vehicle – civilian or military,” Castro said. “It is the most significant road in this province. Now, anyone can pass from the northern part of Helmand to the southern part without having to worry about getting stuck or rolling over into a canal. This road will last for years and our work here will leave a long-lasting impression on the people of Afghanistan.”

“With the [newly-repaired] road, we’ll start to see ripple effects with increased commerce in certain areas, which will provide the Afghan people with the ability for [economic] growth,” said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Anthony J. Reiter, engineer equipment officer, Engineer Company, Combat Logistics Battalion 3, 1st Marine Logistics Group (Forward). “Beyond that, it also impacts the trust and confidence that the local Afghans have in the U.S. military. From a counterinsurgency perspective, our work has a larger effect on the Afghans’ desire to help us rid the area from any Taliban control. In the three months we were working, we definitely saw an improvement in the local Afghans’ perception of us.”

“I’m very proud of the road project, but I’m as proud with the relationships we were able to build with the local community,” Reiter continued. “I believe the Afghans can see how the U.S. help can improve their quality of life compared to their lives under Taliban control.”