KABUL, June 30 (Xinhua) -- Afghan authorities have launched the construction of an underground market in Herat city, the provincial capital of Herat province in western Afghanistan, according to the official media Bakhtar News Agency on Tuesday.
The project, valued at 38 million afghanis (nearly 600,000 U.S. dollars), is expected to be completed within six months. The project is also expected to create job opportunities during the construction phase, the report said.
The development will include an underground commercial area and a pedestrian walkway designed to ease traffic congestion in the busy part of the city, the report added.
Authorities added that the main objective of the project is to better organize laboratory and pharmacy services near the Herat provincial hospital, improve access for patients, and reduce traffic congestion and urban disorder in the area. ■
