Construction has begun on a 750-meter tunnel along Kyrgyzstan’s vital Bishkek–Osh highway, the country’s only overland route connecting the northern and southern regions. The project marks a major step in modernizing national transport infrastructure and improving safety in an area prone to rockfalls, landslides, and harsh weather conditions.
The tunnel is being built at the 400-kilometer mark of the highway by Japan’s Takenaka Civil Engineering & Construction Co., using advanced Japanese technologies designed to meet the region’s complex geological challenges.
A formal groundbreaking ceremony took place on June 19, attended by Kyrgyz Transport and Communications Minister Absattar Syrgabayev and Japanese Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Hideki Goda.
Minister Syrgabayev described the tunnel as a key solution to the dangers posed by the mountainous terrain. “In this area, the risks are high. A tunnel is the safest and most reliable solution,” he said.
Stretching 655 kilometers, the Bishkek–Osh highway runs through the regions of Chui, Talas, Jalal-Abad, and Osh, linking the capital with the country’s second-largest city. It plays a crucial role in both domestic mobility and regional trade, forming part of international corridors that connect Kyrgyzstan with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and China.
The tunnel reflects the government’s continued efforts to strengthen the safety and reliability of one of its most important infrastructure assets.
