Afghanistan–Uzbekistan Friendship Bridge

An Afghan Border Police officer standing on the Afghan side of the Afghanistan–Uzbekistan Friendship Bridge.

The Afghanistan–Uzbekistan Friendship Bridge is a road and rail bridge across the river Amu Darya, connecting the town of Hairatan in the northern Balkh province of Afghanistan with Termez in Uzbekistan.[1] The bridge was built by the Soviet Union and opened in 1982[2] to supply its troops in Afghanistan.

Overview

It is the only fixed link across the Uzbek–Afghan border, the nearest bridge across the Amu Darya being at Kelif, some 120 kilometers (74.5 mi) to the west, crossing the Turkmen-Afghan border.

The bridge was closed in May 1996 when the Taliban forces took control of the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, forcing their enemies living in northern Afghanistan to retreat into Uzbekistan. It reopened on December 9, 2001.[3] Work began in January 2010 to extend the railway to Mazar-i-Sharif.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Hairatan and the Friendship Bridge".
  2. ↑ "USSR-Afghan link". Modern Railways. August 1982. p. 342.
  3. ↑ "Breakthrough in Afghan aid effort". BBC News. 2001-12-09.
  4. ↑ "Construction of Afghan railway launched". Railway Gazette International. 2010-01-27.

External links

Media related to Afghanistan–Uzbekistan Friendship Bridge at Wikimedia Commons

Coordinates: 37°13′40″N 67°25′42″E / 37.2278°N 67.4282°E