Alert Letter: Structural Damage at Baghlan Bridge 1
Abstract
I am writing to alert you to a safety matter that warrants the attention of DOD and U.S. Forces - Afghanistan (USFOR-A). Specifically, a bridge currently in use in Baghlan province, Afghanistan that was partially rehabilitated using funds from the Commanders Emergency Response Program (CERP) in 2012, has significant and extensive damage that poses a risk to people on or near the bridge. As part of our ongoing effort to verify the location and condition of facilities or infrastructure built, refurbished, or funded by the U.S. as part of the reconstruction effort in Afghanistan, SIGAR is conducting site inspections of bridges in Afghanistan that were constructed or repaired with CERP funds. SIGAR is inspecting such bridges in several provinces and began its work in December 2017, by travelling to eight CERP bridge projects in Baghlan province, Afghanistan. DOD obligated $1.6 million in CERP funds for the eight bridge projects. At each bridge site in Baghlan province, SIGAR conducted an assessment to determine the overall condition and use of the bridge, identify any safety concerns, and test the accuracy of location information maintained in DOD's records. We also interviewed a local Afghan government official and a community member near each project, and took photographs embedded with global positioning system and time/date information. At one such bridge in Baghlan province, we found significant structural damage that could lead to structural failure that threatens the safety of persons on or near the bridge. In 2011, USFOR-A awarded a CERP-funded contract for $16,180 to make limited repairs to the bridge to maintain a major supply route and to ensure the local population's access to services and markets. Prior to funding the project, USFOR-A signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a representative of the Afghan Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD). The memorandum stated that MRRD would provide annual funding for the operation and maintenance.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 03, 2018
- Accession Number
- AD1139415
Entities
People
- John Sopko
- Matthew Dove
Organizations
- Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction