On October 16, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev got acquainted with a presentation on the work carried out in road management and priority tasks for the future.

Roads are the lifeblood of the economy. Therefore, Uzbekistan pays special attention to this area, and the scale and quality of work are growing. In particular, if in 2009-2016, more than a thousand kilometers were built and 20 thousand kilometers of roads were repaired for 9 trillion UZS, then these figures have increased sixfold over the past eight years. 58 trillion UZS was allocated for this area, 2 thousand kilometers of roads were built, and 100 thousand kilometers were repaired.

The road management system was improved in accordance with the resolution of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan of October 10, 2023. In particular, those responsible for design, construction, and operation were clearly defined, and the functions of the customer and the contractor were separated.

Attention has increased to scientifically based road construction using modern approaches. For example, road workers have abandoned standard design documentation templates and switched to a method that considers each region’s geological and environmental characteristics. 1,700 units of special equipment have been purchased, and the level of equipment of road management enterprises has increased. New types of asphalt concrete and cement concrete pavements have been introduced.

As a result, qualitative changes are observed in the sector. The service life of newly built roads is 15-20 years. Their condition is checked according to 42 types of indicators. Equipment purchased with grant funds from the World Bank allows for the evaluation of the physical properties of the road surface and checking the condition of underground utility networks without destroying the surface.

Street improvement is part of the “Green Space” program and is generally part of our culture. Every season, seedlings are planted on both sides of the streets. Leasing land along the roads for tree care has also been introduced.

The presentation provided information on projects and plans in this area.

According to the United Nations analysis, high-quality roads will contribute to the growth of Uzbekistan’s economy by at least 2 percent. Currently, 6 projects for reconstructing 729 kilometers of roads are being implemented jointly with international financial organizations. In particular, a 240-kilometer section of the road along the Kungrad-Beyneu route will be commissioned in the coming days. Separate sections of the Gulistan-Andijan, Dushanbe-Termez, Bukhara-Turkmenbashi, and Urgench-Khazorasp roads will also be reconstructed.

Private sector representatives are also actively involved in this area. The operation of 260 kilometers of roads in the regions has been outsourced to entrepreneurs. Within the framework of the Asian Development Bank project, an agreement has been reached that, for the first time, local contractors will exclusively participate in constructing 841 kilometers of roads.

The Head of state outlined essential tasks in this area.

“Considering the geographical location of Uzbekistan, the importance of international roads for foreign trade is very great. Therefore, our international roads, with a total length of 4 thousand kilometers, connecting Andijan with Kungrad, Termez with Tashkent, must meet the highest requirements”, Shavkat Mirziyoyev said.

The need to accelerate the projects of toll roads between Tashkent-Samarkand and Tashkent-Andijan and their construction on sections with a high level of traffic was noted. At the same time, the mandatory presence of an alternative free road will be enshrined in law.

Today, 4700 overpasses need repair. The task has been set to develop a three-year program for their reconstruction.

Roadside infrastructure is being developed in the regions, and trade and services are being organized. As noted at the presentation, an additional 70 service complexes will be built on international highways with a length of about 4,000 kilometers.

Instructions on close cooperation with international financial institutions were given to attract foreign consultants to road and water infrastructure projects.

UzA