The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $86.67 million grant to help Tajikistan expand its degraded two-lane 49-km Dangara–Guliston highway to four lanes.
Commenting on the move, ADB Director General for Central and West Asia Yevgeniy Zhukov said: “ADB, in partnership with other organizations, promotes safe, accessible, and green transport infrastructure and services in our developing member countries. The Dangara–Guliston road, constructed in the 1930s and reconstructed in the 1970s, will become the first road in Tajikistan to incorporate climate adaptation and elements specific to women’s needs.”
The project will fund two pilot charging stations and develop investment frameworks to catalyze private sector investment in Tajikistan’s national charging infrastructure rollout. Safety is a high priority and to this end, the newly reconstructed road will include dedicated cycleways, wide sidewalks for people with children and disabilities, improved lighting and well-marked pedestrian crossings. Special toilets and changing facilities will be provided for mothers and babies, while public transport facilities will include preferential seating for people with disabilities.
In addition to the above, the fund will incorporate training programs for women living in and around the project area to open and run small businesses, and award entrepreneurship grants to selected participants.
The Tajikistan government has pledged $23 million towards the realization of the project whilst subject to its Board’s approval in early 2025, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD, will provide a $40 million co-financing loan.
Tajikistan’s Ministry of Transport plans to complete the project in 2030.
