Kazakhstan has formed a working group to develop a shorter road route from Almaty to Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan, which could reduce travel time by nearly half. The initiative, reported by Kazakh media, aims to improve regional connectivity and enhance tourism flows between the two countries.
According to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport, the proposed route will serve as an alternative to the current 460-kilometer drive through Korday and Bishkek. The new road is expected to be approximately 277 kilometers long, with a travel time of about three hours.
Preliminary estimates indicate the road will traverse roughly equal distances in both countries: 127 kilometers in Kazakhstan and 150 kilometers in Kyrgyzstan. Much of the required infrastructure is already in place. Kazakhstan will need to repair about 80 kilometers of road, while Kyrgyzstan is expected to reconstruct just six kilometers.
The project was initiated by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which has committed grant funding for the development of a feasibility study. An agreement to that effect was signed in December 2024.
In spring 2025, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan established a joint working group to develop infrastructure for the Almaty-Bishkek and Almaty-Issyk-Kul economic corridors. That summer, both countries also began upgrading border crossing facilities. The current phase of the project involves preparing the feasibility study.
The study, led by the Kazakh authorities in collaboration with the Eurasian Development Bank, is expected to be completed by September 2026. It will determine the road’s exact route, classification, projected traffic volume, financial model, and potential toll structure. Early indications suggest the road may operate as a toll road.
Once approved by both governments, the feasibility study will serve as the basis for a final construction decision. Project financing is expected to follow a public-private partnership model, including the formation of a joint venture between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
The idea of creating a direct route to Issyk-Kul for Kazakh tourists has been under discussion for decades. Since Kyrgyzstan’s independence, successive presidents have expressed support for the project, but political disagreements have repeatedly stalled progress.
Similar political issues prevented the reopening of a once-popular hiking trail from Almaty to Issyk-Kul. During the Soviet era, tourists could walk from Kol-Sai to Issyk-Kul via the Kyrgyz village of Tyup, roughly a 30-kilometer journey. The trail remained active until the 2000s, when it was closed due to bilateral tensions.
A final attempt to revive cross-border tourism occurred in August 2022, when a delegation of politicians, journalists, and tourism experts retraced the route. While the two governments agreed on border and passport control protocols, the initiative was soon suspended again.
Experts suggest that, with sustained political will, both the highway project and the restoration of the historic hiking route could be implemented in the future.
