Kyrgyzstan’s alternative North-South highway will be open to traffic from June to November 2026, the Ministry of Transport and Communications has announced.
Preparatory work for the seasonal opening is currently underway, including the implementation of additional safety measures.
The long-anticipated 433-kilometer highway is a strategic transport corridor linking Balykchy in the Issyk-Kul Region with Jalal-Abad in southern Kyrgyzstan. Approximately 200 kilometers of the route pass through areas where no roads previously existed.
Key engineering achievements along the route include Kyrgyzstan’s longest tunnel, located at the Kok-Art mountain pass, and two major overpass bridges. Once operational, the highway is expected to reduce travel time between Jalal-Abad and Balykchy from 13 hours to just six.
Currently, the only route connecting Kyrgyzstan’s northern and southern regions is the Bishkek-Osh highway. The new North-South corridor is expected to improve both passenger and freight transportation between the regions, particularly given the absence of a direct railway connection.
Construction of the North-South highway began in 2014, but the opening has been repeatedly postponed.
The highway is expected to become fully operational year-round in 2028, according to Minister of Transport and Communications Talantbek Soltobaev.
He said that in 2026 the highway would only operate during the summer season.
“Until we resolve safety issues, we will be closing the highway for the winter,” the minister said, referring to the need to eliminate risks associated with rockfalls, avalanches and other natural hazards along certain sections of the road.
