On October 16, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev got acquainted with a presentation on the work carried out in the field of road infrastructure and priority tasks for the future.
Highways are the blood artery of the economy. Therefore, our country pays special attention to this area, 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 soums, then over the past eight years these figures have increased by 6 times. 58 trillion soums were allocated for this area, 2 thousand kilometers of roads were built, 100 thousand kilometers were repaired.
In accordance with the decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated October 10, 2023, the road management system has been improved. In particular, those responsible for design, construction and operation have been clearly defined, and the functions of customer and contractor have been separated.
Attention to science-based road construction using modern approaches has been increased. For example, road builders have abandoned standard design documentation templates and switched to a method that takes into account the geological and ecological peculiarities of each region. 1 thousand 700 units of special equipment have been purchased, and the level of equipment of road enterprises has been raised. New types of asphalt concrete and cement concrete pavements were introduced.
As a result, qualitative changes are observed in the sphere. The service life of newly built roads is 15-20 years. Their condition is checked using 42 types of indicators. The equipment purchased with World Bank grant funds allows to assess the physical properties of the road surface and check the condition of underground communication networks without destroying the pavement.
Street improvement is part of the Yashil Makon program and, in general, part of our culture. Every season, seedlings are planted on both sides of the streets. The practice of renting out land along the roads for tree maintenance has also been introduced.
The presentation provided information on projects and plans in this area.
According to the United Nations analysis, quality roads will contribute to Uzbekistan’s economic growth by at least 2 percent. Currently, 6 projects on reconstruction of 729 kilometers of roads are being implemented jointly with international financial organizations. In particular, in the coming days, a 240-kilometer road section on the Kungrad-Beyneu route will be put into operation. Some sections of Gulistan-Andijan, Dushanbe-Termez, Bukhara-Turkmenbashi, Urgench-Khazarasp roads will also be reconstructed.
Representatives of the private sector 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 only local contractors will be involved in the construction of 841 kilometers of roads.
The Head of State outlined important tasks in this area.
– Given the geographical location of Uzbekistan, the importance of international roads for foreign trade is very high. Therefore, our international roads with a total length of 4 thousand kilometers connecting Andijan with Kungrad, Termez with Tashkent should meet the highest requirements, – said Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
The need to accelerate projects of toll roads between Tashkent-Samarkand and Tashkent-Andijan, their construction on the sections with high traffic level was noted. At the same time, the mandatory availability of an alternative free road will be legislated.
To date, 4,700 overpasses are in need of repair. The task to develop a three-year program for their reconstruction has been set.
Roadside infrastructure is being developed in the regions, trade and services are being organized. As it was noted at the presentation, 70 additional service complexes will be built on international highways with a length of about 4 thousand kilometers.
Instructions were given to establish close cooperation with international financial institutions, attract foreign consultants in road and water infrastructure projects.