ASTANA, Kazakhstan, July 9. Several important transport projects in Kazakhstan are scheduled to be completed in 2024, said Transport Minister Marat Karabayev during a government meeting, Trend reports.
"Several important projects are scheduled for completion this year. The longest road tunnel in Kazakhstan, located on the Shakpak Baba pass in the Turkistan region (840 meters), will be put into operation in July. The tunnel will allow drivers to move freely in winter," he said.
According to the minister, another project - a 6-kilometer-long road overpass at the Shamalgan station, which has important transit significance for the Almaty agglomeration, will be opened in September.
"The third project is the commissioning of the Merke-Burylbaytal highway, 262 kilometers long, connecting the central and northern regions of the country with the Western Europe – Western China corridor. The fourth project, the construction of a 1.3 kilometers long bridge across the Bukhtarma Reservoir in Eastern Kazakhstan, is scheduled to be completed this year. The opening of the bridge will ensure safe movement for residents who use the ferry in the summer and travel on ice in the winter," the minister added.
As Karabayev noted, the bridge will connect 4 districts of the East Kazakhstan region. "This historic project has been discussed for 60 years. Thanks to the relevant decision of the country's president, the project is being implemented and will be put into operation by the end of the year".
To date, 13 international transport corridors have been formed and are operating in Kazakhstan, including 5 railways and 8 roads.
Over the last decade, Kazakhstan's transportation and logistics infrastructure has received an investment of about $30 billion.
Furthermore, over the next five years, a whopping 40 billion euros will be required to carry out significant transportation infrastructure projects in Kazakhstan.