DUSHANBE (TCA) — The population of the Tajik capital Dushanbe will benefit from short travel times and state-of-the-art transport solutions following the opening of a new modern road interchange built with financial support from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the Bank reported on September 7.
With a population of over 800,000, Dushanbe is the largest municipality in Tajikistan. The new three-level road will reduce travel times through the city centre, providing much-needed congestion relief and improving the ecological situation.
The interchange, which is used by more than 18,000 vehicles per hour, is an integral part of the Dushanbe-Uzbekistan border road improvement project jointly financed by the EBRD (US$ 62.5 million) and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (US$ 27.5 million). The road was opened this week by the President of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, in a ceremony also attended by EBRD Head of Tajikistan, Ayten Rustamova, and the Mayor of Dushanbe, Rustam Emomali.
The road was built in accordance with best international standards and has several important features such as an improved traffic management set-up designed to reduce congestion, underground pedestrian crossings, modern road marking, safety barriers and LED lighting. Its throughput capacity as well as its safety, both for motorists and pedestrians, has increased significantly.
The project, which was supervised by an international engineering company, also complies with the best social and environmental standards, which is a benchmark for projects of such type in the country.
To date, the EBRD has invested over €608 million (US$ 700 million) in various sectors of Tajikistan’s economy.
