Drivers and passengers voiced their frustration over the continued blockage of Kabul-Jalalabad highway, and called on the interim government officials to reopen the highway as soon as possible.

The Kabul-Jalalabad highway was blocked on Sunday after major rockslides blocked the highway in the Pul-e-Charkhi area of Kabul.

The Ministry of Defense earlier announced on social media that the engineering teams of the ministry have created a side road on the Kabul-Jalalabad highway, and now the side road is temporarily open for traffic.

But the citizens said that the substitute path has caused them to reach their destination late due to heavy traffic jams.

“It was 7:00 in the morning that I traveled, and I wanted to go to Logar. It is now 3:00 o’clock and we are still stranded in a traffic jam. The road is in severe condition on both sides,” said Hafizullah, a passenger.

“This is not the work of one or two days. This (Kabul-Jalalabad highway) is a transit path. The Islamic Emirate should construct it and provide facilities for the people,” said Sayed Bismil, a driver.

Meanwhile, the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) said that the traders have also been facing severe challenges in transporting their commodities.

“It is an unexpected incident. We hope this will be solved soon. We were carrying grapes, melons and vegetables from Kabul. This blockage has really caused us problems and the traders have suffered from it,” said Khanjan Alokozai, a member of the ACCI.

Haqshinas told TOLOnews on Thursday that the rocks are still falling down the mountain and have covered the highway, and that whenever the sliding stops the ministry will clean the highway.

“The substitute path which has been constructed by the MoPW doesn’t have the capacity for big trucks, we want the drivers of big trucks to use the Lata band path or road of Tagab district of Kapisa province,” he said.