On January 1st 2008, IRD was given Notice to Proceed (NTP) by USAID to begin a three-year program for the construction of 1,505 km of engineered gravel roads in 12 southern and eastern provinces of Afghanistan through the Strategic Provincial Roads (SPR) program. The core objective of this program is to increase stability and security in these areas by facilitating trade, improving access to goods and services, and fostering interdependence between neighboring villages and provinces.  

Within 15 days of NTP for this $400 million program, IRD’s key management and startup team was mobilized in Kabul. After 18 months of implementation, 1,424 kilometers are under construction, creating 195,242 new jobs for the Afghan people. 

In addition to pure road construction, IRD has a significant outreach component built into the SPR program with a budget of $30 million. Outreach activities include: arranging MOU’s with tribal leaders along each road, training and safety awareness programs, and a range of infrastructure development projects that enhance the vitality of the road while still meeting the core objectives noted above. The latter includes agricultural initiatives, water well construction, micro-grants for small business start-ups, and other programs developed in cooperation with each community. IRD considers community involvement fundamentally critical to the success of any construction project particularly in the difficult provinces of Afghanistan’s south and east.

With the SPR program, IRD has brought together the most talented and experienced road construction management team in Afghanistan. Key expatriate personnel have been designing and building asphalt and gravel roads in Afghanistan since 2003 and several have been building roads throughout the world for the last 20 to 30 years. In addition, all of IRD's local national engineers have university degrees with experience commensurate to their position.

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