ASTANA, Kazakhstan, June 4. Kazakhstan has begun reconstruction of the taxiway and apron of airport of Balkhash city, Trend reports.
According to the Ministry of Transport, the total cost of the reconstruction project will be 3.8 billion tenge (about $8.5 million).
The general contractor, Kazakhdostroy LLP, began construction and installation work. At the moment, asphalt concrete pavement milling is being completed (98 percent), the taxiway base is being dismantled (40 percent), and the roadbed is being prepared.
According to the work plan, installation of the concrete coating is planned for June 15 of this year. At the next stage, a major overhaul of the airport terminal and the construction of a special transport service building are planned.
As the Ministry noted, modernization of the airport infrastructure will create new opportunities for the development of the city and tourism region. It is planned that passenger traffic will triple, from 13,000 to 40,000 people per year.
To date, 13 international transport corridors have been formed and are in operation in Kazakhstan, including 5 railways and 8 roads.
Furthermore, about $30 billion has been invested in the transport and logistics infrastructure of Kazakhstan over the past 10 years.
Moreover, in the next five years, at least 40 billion euros will be needed to implement major infrastructure projects in the field of transportation in Kazakhstan.
To note, the Balkhash airport was built in 1967, and major renovations were carried out in 2007. It is classified as a national aerodrome in the latest Aeronautical Information Publication. In the last few years, civil aircraft rarely use this airport, and the airport is mainly used by the skydiving club of the city of Balkhash and the military.