Kazakhstan is moving forward with three major highway construction projects aimed at increasing the capacity of trade routes between China and Europe and shortening transit times. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced the launch of the projects during a ceremony he attended by teleconference.
Tokayev emphasized that the transportation and logistics sector is the driving force of the country's economy. He noted that road freight transport has doubled in the last five years, and last year the sector generated 1.5 trillion tenge (approximately $3.16 billion) in revenue.
Among the projects, the Beyneu – Saksaulsk Highway will be 800 kilometers long and directly connect checkpoints on the Chinese border to the ports of Aktau and Kuryk. This link will shorten the freight transport distance from China to Europe by 1,000 kilometers and reduce delivery time to 3 days.
Capacity expansion and comprehensive renovation work will also begin on the other two projects, the Kyzylorda – Saksaulsk and Ulgaysyn – Saksaulsk highways, covering a total of 774 kilometers. When all these projects are completed, annual cargo flow is expected to increase 2.5 times, reaching 13.2 million tons.
President Tokayev stated that these investments are vital for Kazakhstan, which is located at a geopolitically important crossroads.