A Chinese company has won the tender for the construction of the Tashkent — Samarkand toll road, valued at $2.185 billion. The signing of the EPC contract is expected in June, with construction work scheduled to begin in July, said Minister of Transport Ilkhom Makhkamov after presenting the projects to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The name of the contractor has not yet been disclosed.
The highway will be 282 km long. The Category I-a project includes three lanes in each direction, cement concrete pavement, and a speed limit of up to 150 km/h. The route will connect several regions and also includes 12 interchanges, 91 bridges, 60 tunnels, 16 overpasses, and hundreds of drainage and roadside infrastructure facilities.
The existing road is already overloaded and cannot cope with the traffic flow. The new highway is expected to reduce travel time by 2–2.5 times. An intelligent traffic management system, weight control, and service areas are also planned, which will increase the route's capacity and safety.