TALLIL, Iraq (Army News Service, Dec. 5, 2004) - Iraq's first national highway running from its northern borders to the Persian Gulf in the south was completed Dec. 5 with the driving of a golden spike.

Main Supply Route Tampa, also called Highway or Expressway One, was completed by a combined effort of coalition and Iraqi forces led by the 115th Engineer Group of the Utah National Guard.

The golden spike ceremony was patterned after one in Utah 135 years ago when the world's first transcontinental railroad was joined in Promontory Point. The ceremonial driving of a golden spike completed the final link of the railroad on May 10, 1869, joining the U.S. Pacific and Atlantic coasts.

The golden spike ceremony for the Iraqi highway was performed by representatives of both Iraq and the coalition. Maj. Gen. Walter Natynczyk, deputy commander of the Multi-National Corps-Iraq, hammered the railroad spike into the center of the pavement with a representative of Iraq's Ministry of Housing and Construction.

"This is a significant milestone in Iraqi and Coalition cooperation which literally and figuratively paves the way for all Iraqis," Natynzcyk said.

Like the historical golden spike at Promontory Point, officials said the golden spike in the completely paved MSR Tampa represents the joining of cultures and advances in transportation.

The hammering of the spike additionally honored the home state of the lead coalition engineers, said Col. Ed Willis, commander, 115th Engineer Group. The 115th engineers were tasked with completion of the highway in March 2004.

"It's also a demonstration of the cooperation between the coalition forces and the Iraqi people," Willis announced to Iraqi, U.S., Italian, and various forces present for the event.

"The completion of this paving mission forges a vital link in the improvement of Iraq's national infrastructure," Natynczyk said "This effort [paving of MSR Tampa] started about 30 years ago, but it was delayed due to years of conflict and an oppressive regime."

Prior to the paving project, 143 kilometers of the 1,020-kilometer road were unpaved. The U.S. Army adopted the project in cooperation with Iraq in November 2003. Now, at least one lane of asphalt covers the center of Iraq from the northern borders of Turkey and Syria to the southern border of the Persian Gulf.

The road construction had never been completed due to difficulties such as the war with Iran, the Gulf War, and issues Saddam had with people of the area, said the Iraqi ministry representative.

"It was a very difficult situation. No asphalt plant worked, no machinery. But we had courage to finish. with support of Coalition Forces," he said.

"Before this was laid down, there were head-on collisions and roll-overs all the time, and the dust was unreal," said Sgt. Robert Davis, gunner, 115th Engineers. "It used to take us eight hours to get from [Tallil] to Scania. Now we can do it in two and a half."

The project was funded by the Commanders Emergency Response Program, or CERP funds, and Iraqi Reconstruction Relief Funds.

Since there was no working asphalt plants to produce the materials needed for the road, Iraqis and Coalition Forces shipped bituman, the naturally occurring tar used successfully for more than 6,000 years in the fertile crescent, and processed it and worked together to pave the road.

"Missions that supported the construction were security at the work sites and the asphalt plants, road base prep, shoulder finishing, raw material haul, finished asphalt haul, maintenance support at the asphalt plants, and parts and equipment for the plants," said Maj. Lynn Hinckley, unit historian, 115th Engineer Group.

The Iraqi Highway Patrol, a police unit headed by Maj. Ali from Nasariyah, helped provide security for the project. The highway patrol is the first police unit in Iraq specifically trained to keep MSR Tampa safe from insurgents and other criminal elements. They were trained by the 230th Military Police Company, 95th MP Battalion, 16th MP Brigade, out of Manheim, Germany, and regularly assisted by the 115th Eng. Gp.

The 115th Eng. Gp. includes members of the Utah National Guard, as well as the 1140th Eng. Combat Battalion, Mississippi National Guard; 258th Combat Support Equipment Company, Arizona National Guard; 116th CSE, Bridge A/6 ESB Marines; 277th Combat Support Co. and 1438th Multi-Role Bridge Co., Mississippi.

"Due to the hard work and determination of Iraqi and Coalition leaders, Soldiers and skilled tradesmen, all the contractors who overcame all the setbacks caused by these years of war, this final stretch between Diwaniyah and Tallil is finally complete," Natynczyk said.

Natynczyk thanked all Iraqi workers who risked their lives daily paving the lanes, running the asphalt plants and the Iraqi Highway Patrol.

"The true heroes of this project are the citizens of Iraq who have dedicated so much of themselves to make this a success," he said. "May all those who travel on this highway reach their destination safely. I know they will appreciate your sacrifices and your efforts."

"For years, this unpaved area was a dangerous route for Iraqis and Coalition Forces," Natynczyk said. "There have been many accidents, injuries and deaths, and so this first lane of pavement will improve greatly the safety of this road."

Even with this completion, Willis said there is still much work to be done.

"There are still other lanes to be built," Willis said. "This is not the end of the road, but the beginning."

(Editor's note: Spc. Crista M. Birmingham serves with the Multinational Corps Iraq Public Affairs Office.)