The President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, received a briefing on proposed highway construction plans.
In order to improve traffic convenience, several projects are being developed in Uzbekistan to establish a network of international and local roads. One of these projects, “Construction of Internal Roads with Cement Concrete Pavement,” will be implemented with the assistance of the Asian Development Bank. This project will involve the construction of 841 kilometers of roads in the Republic of Karakalpakstan and 86 districts of the regions, benefiting over 770,000 people residing in 272 communities. The Asian Development Bank has allocated $240 million for this project.
The construction and technical supervision of these projects will be carried out by domestic contractors, including private entrepreneurs and local engineers. The main contractor will also be responsible for maintaining and operating the roads for five years after their completion.
Another project aims to reconstruct a section of the international highway M39, specifically the 1255 to 1315 kilometer stretch between Almaty, Bishkek, Tashkent, Shakhrisabz, and Termez. This section, which is in need of repair, passes through the center of Dehkanabad district.
The project will involve the construction of 60 kilometers of four-lane road with cement concrete pavement, as well as a new 17-kilometer bypass road, 14 bridges, and road overpasses around the center of Dehkanabad district. The financing for this project, totaling almost $154 million, will come from the Islamic Development Bank and the OPEC Fund for International Development.
In October 2023, the President of Uzbekistan issued a resolution to revise the list of public roads and approved a list of 20-kilometer highways in the Republic of Karakalpakstan and each region, which will be outsourced to the private sector as an experiment.
The presentation provided updates on the progress made in this area and outlined plans for the current year.
The President emphasized the importance of high-quality road construction, the establishment of forest plantations along the repaired roads to improve the ecology of the regions, and the development of convenient road and transport infrastructure in rural areas.
UzA