ASTANA, Kazakhstan, November 25. Kazakhstan is developing a feasibility study for a project to build a highway along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), the Kazakh Deputy Minister of Transport Maksat Kaliakparov said, at a press conference following a government meeting, Trend reports.
He added that there are also plans to expand the Western Europe-Western China transport corridor to increase its capacity. The project will be implemented in coordination with neighboring countries to avoid bottlenecks on their territory. All work is being carried out within the framework of a unified strategic approach.
In addition, Kaliakparov noted that for the convenience of carriers, a “green” corridor for customs clearance of transit cargo is planned to be introduced at checkpoints in Kazakhstan, which will significantly simplify procedures. As part of this work, all checkpoints are undergoing modernization.
"As for determining the directions for road construction, today we are seeing significant growth in transit traffic – on average, 30–35 percent annually. To ensure its smooth operation, we are developing a large-scale road strategy, calculated in stages until 2030, 2035, and 2040. Work is currently underway to identify the most promising transit and transport routes that need to be developed first," Kaliakparov noted.
According to him, a transport framework will be formed to ensure the country's transit capabilities.
The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), or Middle Corridor, is a multimodal trade route that connects China and Southeast Asia to Europe via Central Asia, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus, and Türkiye. It serves as a key alternative to routes that pass through Russia, especially since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine and subsequent sanctions. The route is seeing a significant increase in freight traffic and involves infrastructure development across its member countries, such as Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye.