Multi Million Dollar Route Nears Finish
Al Asad- Part one of a two-part roadway project is nearing completion in Iraq. The road Al-Asad to Hit is receiving a makeover in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers effort in Iraq.
The Uranium Road is the longest project that the USACE has undertaken in Iraq. The cost of the project is close to $29.6 million dollars and the makeover for the roadway is scheduled to be completed sometime in April 2008. It is a 51-kilometer route that is an Alternate Supply Route, one that is critical for ongoing mission readiness and deployment in Iraq.
The current project is nearly 60 percent complete, and work continues at the rate of 500 metric tons of asphalt being laid down daily. Trucks run continuously from Al-Asad to the roadway pour site. The Asphalt is produced at Al-Asad air base with contractor equipment owned by Iraq Technical Assistance Services. This is an Iraqi owned and operated contractor, and work proceeds under the watchful eyes of coalition troops who provide guidance and security for the project.
Road traffic for all other purposes have been directed to other routes to allow for smoother more uninterrupted roadway work. Marine Corps Regimental Combat Team 5 has worked diligently to direct all other convoy and necessary traffic to other routes, allowing constant application of the asphalt speeding the roadway effort.
“We are working to make a difference in the lives of my fellow Iraqi countrymen,” said contractor and ITAS owner Talat Younis.
