A Road Trip from Kandahar to Kabul on Highway 1 in Afghanistan

Highway 1, the 300-mile artery between Kandahar and Kabul that was once pockmarked with bomb craters, now runs on fresh asphalt and seems free of potholes. Since the Taliban returned to power in 2021 they have worked to replace the violence that defined the road with tighter security and administration; buses can now complete the trip in six to eight hours after a stretch that could take as long as 18 hours during the war.

A 2016 audit by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction found that 95 percent of paved roads had been damaged or destroyed, a reminder of the scale of earlier destruction. Scenes from the road offer everyday contrasts: a man trains pigeons at sunset near Kandahar, drivers queue at shiny gas stations and boys cycle past solar-panel-covered religious schools.

At a roadside stall, Nasibullah Khaksar, who grew up next to the highway, said the sight of a Taliban patrol used to mean fighting would start soon; now he rides his motorcycle at night without fear and does not lock his shop.

Afghanistan, Kandahar-Kabul

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