Royal Engineers build new bridge in area seized during Op MOSHTARAK

The canal and bridge were both seized by British and Afghan forces as part of Operation MOSHTARAK.

Commanders ordered the 36-metre bridge to be put in place because more routes across the Nahr-e Bughra canal, known by soldiers as 'The Neb', were needed to ensure supplies got to infantry troops on the ground.

Corporal John Powney was Bridge Commander for the construction. He said:

"I was delighted with how things went. Before the operation, we talked through the 'what ifs' with the team: mechanical failure, battle casualties. We addressed all the issues. Everyone worked hard and it all went well.

"The bridge is primarily here to allow convoys to support troops to the south, and it's also planned to be for the locals to use as well."

Lance Corporal Wayne Rodman, also on the bridge-building team, added:

"We needed to open a route for logistic supplies and for the local population. Along the canal bank the crossing was made up of oil drums and bits of rope, which is dangerous for the Afghan kids when they fall in."

Cpl Powney's five-truck bridge-building team left Camp Bastion as part of a 44-vehicle, half-mile-long (0.8km) convoy the same day as the helicopter assault into northern Nad 'Ali began.

As the helicopters flew overhead, the convoy, made up of amoured personnel carriers and engineering tanks and equipment, snaked south through the Afghanistan countryside.

A week into the operation, the order came to bridge the canal:

"We touched base with the field troops on the ground and carried out a recce of the site to see how we'd position the vehicles," said Cpl Powney.

The bridge is built by pushing a 'nose rail' over the area to be bridged. The bridge is then built underneath by fixing pieces of it together like a giant meccano set, before being lowered into place.

Next to go in are the anchor plates:

"The plates are in all four corners. Ninety-six steel pins three-foot-long [90cm] get driven into the ground to secure the bridge," said Cpl Powney.

After that, 2.5 tonnes of 'dressing', such as rails and curbs, get put in by hand.

The bridge took about 90 minutes to be constructed. In that time a guard made up of three Afghan checkpoints and a dozen armoured personnel carriers ensured the safety of the team. Cpl Powney added:

"We had no small arms contacts because we had a ring of steel round us. There were three Afghan National Army outposts, two on the far side of the canal and one on the home side.

"We also had some guys form the Royal Welsh Battle Group on the south side of the canal and a dozen Viking armoured personnel carriers on our flanks."

As Cpl Powney's 12-man team was building the bridge locals came out to watch:

"There were two old chaps who sat and watched the whole thing, and as we were leaving the site, lots of local nationals were looking at the bridge to check out what we had done. They appeared happy. One young child was wandering along the bridge as we were building it.

"As we drove off we could see a dozen people on the bridge, looking at it, and hopefully using it. I am very pleased that everything fell into place."