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Tajikistan is set to begin construction on the longest highway bridge in Central Asia, a key component of the third phase of the Obigarm-Nurabad highway project. The implementation agreement was signed between Tajikistan’s Ministry of Transport and the Tajik branch of the Chinese company Zhejiang Communications Construction Group Co. Ltd. (CCCC). The document was signed by Tajik Minister of Transport Azim Ibrohim and CCCC representative Li Mingkun. The bridge, spanning 920 meters (1,500 meters including access roads), will cross the Surkhob River in Nurabad district, making it the largest infrastructure project of its kind in the region. “The construction of the bridge should be completed with high quality and within the stipulated time frame, but we hope the work can be finished even earlier,” Ibrohim said. The project, estimated at CNY 427.5 million (approximately $59.8 million), is scheduled for completion within four years, with both local and international experts involved. Design and feasibility studies were prepared by South Korean firms Dong Maeng Engineering Company, Seng Engineering Company, and Susang Engineering Company, in collaboration with the Institute of Transport Facilities Design under Tajikistan’s Ministry of Transport. Li Mingkun emphasized that CCCC has prior experience in Tajikistan, having participated in the construction of roads and bridges. This project aligns with the country’s strategy to overcome transport isolation and establish itself as a key regional transit hub.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) announced on September 19 that it had approved $109.5 million in financing to renovate the highway around Lake Issyk-Kul. The lake is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Kyrgyzstan, and a strategic location that connects to neighboring Central Asian countries. ADB’s Issyk-Kul Ring Road Improvement Project will construct 75.2 kilometers of the road traversing the Barskoon to Karakol section of the Issyk-Kul Ring Road, which connects the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Corridor 1. The project will widen the two-lane roadway to four lanes to meet increasing traffic demand, while incorporating climate-adaptation measures into the road design and construction materials. Rest areas, bus stops, streetlights, and safer access for pedestrians will also be constructed. The ADB funding comprises an $87 million concessional loan and a $22.5 million grant from the Asian Development Fund. ADB Principal Transport Specialist Oyunchimeg Erdene commented: “The Barskoon–Karakol road section [on the southern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul] is the remaining portion of the Issyk-Kul Ring Road for improvement. Completing this will mean eliminating congestion and boosting tourism that will support the growth of businesses in the area.” Kyrgyzstan’s Deputy Minister of Transport, Beknazar Bazaraliev, earlier said that the rehabilitation of the Issyk-Kul Ring Road is to be completed in 2028. The rehabilitation of the 440 km long Issyk-Kul Ring Road was divided into several parts and is financed by the government and international financial organizations.
On April 17, Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdimuhamedov attended the launch of a new section of the Ashgabat-Turkmenabat high-speed highway linking the cities of Tejen and Mary. Phased construction of one of the most ambitious transport projects in Turkmenistan began in January 2019. Covering 600 kilometres, it comprises three sections - Ashgabat-Tejen (203 kilometres), Tejen-Mary (109 kilometres), and Mary-Turkmenabat (288 kilometres) – and once completed, will provide a faster and more economical means of transporting goods across the country. Hailing the high-speed Ashgabat-Turkmenabat highway a modern revival of the ancient Silk Road, President Berdimuhamedov reiterated his country’s commitment to the development of transport corridors from East-West and North-South and stated: “Turkmenistan is located at the junction of two continents, and such a favourable location provides a huge advantage in the formation of an international transport and logistics corridor, the integration of the domestic transport sector into the global system and the expansion of trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian ties with partner countries.”
