Release Number 20083012-05

December 30, 2008

KABUL, Afghanistan – Afghan dignitaries and Gen. David McKiernan, Commander, U.S. Forces Afghanistan participated in a ceremony to open the recently completed Chutu bridge, today, in Deh Rawod district, located in Uruzgon Province, just over 100 km north of Kandahar.

Local dignitaries participating in the ceremony included Sayeed Uzman, the Deh Rawood district chief , District Police Chief Omar Khan and Dr. Sorghab Ali Safari, Afghan’s Minister of Public Works.

In 2006, Coalition forces, working with local Afghan officials, identified a need to construct a bridge across the Helmand River. The newly completed bridge will serve to connect central Uruzgon province with the western half of the province as well as Helmand Province.
The old bridge was catastrophically damaged during the spring flooding season in 2007.

“The completion of Chutu bridge serves as a symbol for local success, being built by Afghan hands to join Afghan communities,” said Col. O’Hara, a U.S. Forces spokesperson. “The bridge sends a strong message to insurgent strongholds in the region that the security and economic development of Afghanistan will not be stopped.”

The building of the bridge began September of this year and was completed Dec. 27. The estimated cost for building the bridge was just over $850, 000. Over 300 local residents were on hand during the ceremony today.