President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was presented with a report on October 16th on the work accomplished in the field of road infrastructure and the future priority tasks. This was reported by the President's press service
Highways – the "blood vessels" of the economy. Hence, in our country, special attention is given to this field, with continued increases in the scope and quality of work. Specifically, between 2009-2016, more than 9 trillion soms were spent to construct over a thousand kilometers of roads and repair 20,000 kilometers, whereas in the last eight years, these indicators have increased sixfold. That is, 58 trillion soms were allocated to the sector, constructing 2,000 kilometers of roads and repairing 100,000 kilometers.
Pursuant to the decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated October 10, 2023, the road infrastructure system has been further perfected. Specifically, clear responsibilities were defined for planning, construction, and exploitation; and the roles of clients and contractors were separated.
There has been an increased focus on constructing roads based on scientific knowledge and modern approaches. For instance, the use of standard templates for project documents has been discontinued, moving towards a methodology considering the geological and ecological characteristics of each region. 1,700 pieces of special machinery were purchased, enhancing the resource availability of road infrastructure enterprises. New types of asphalt-concrete and cement-concrete pavements have been introduced.
As a result, the quality is also changing. The operational lifespan of newly constructed roads will be 15-20 years. Their condition is monitored according to 42 different indicators. Equipment provided by the World Bank's grant funds enables the assessment of the physical properties of roads and the condition of underground communication networks without damaging the covering.
The beautification of streets is part of the "Green Space" program, and by extension, our culture. Each season, trees are planted along their sides. Additionally, land plots along the roads are leased out for tree care purposes.
Information about the projects and plans in the sector was delivered during the presentation.
According to the analysis of the United Nations, quality roads will propel at least a 2% growth in the economy of Uzbekistan. Currently, six projects are being implemented to reconstruct 729 kilometers of roads in cooperation with international financial organizations. In particular, the "Kongirot-Beinau" route of 240 kilometers will be commissioned in the coming days. Likewise, certain segments of the Gulistan – Andijan, Dushanbe – Termez, Bukhara – Turkmenbashi, Urgench – Khazarasp roads will be reconstructed.
Representatives of the private sector are also being widely involved in the sector. The operation of a total of 260 kilometers of roads in the regions has been outsourced to entrepreneurs. Under the framework of the Asian Development Bank project, it was agreed for the first time that solely local contractors would participate in the construction of 841 kilometers of roads.
The leader of our state highlighted the important tasks in the sector.
– Considering the geographical location of Uzbekistan, the importance of international roads in foreign trade is very significant. Therefore, it is essential that our 4,000 kilometers of international roads connecting Andijan with Kongirot and Termez with Tashkent meet the highest standards, – said Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
It was noted that it is necessary to accelerate the projects for toll roads between Tashkent-Samarkand and Tashkent-Andijan, building them in areas with high traffic volumes. In such cases, the existence of an alternative toll-free road will be specifically defined by law.
Today, 4,700 bridges are in need of repair. A three-year program has been developed to repair them in stages.
Roadside infrastructure in the regions is being developed, along with trade and services. As mentioned in the presentation, in addition to this, 70 service complexes will be constructed along nearly 4,000 kilometers of international highways.
Instructions were given to closely collaborate with international financial institutions in infrastructure projects such as roads and waterways and to engage foreign consultants.
