BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, September 19. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved $109.5 million to enhance the national road around Issyk-Kul Lake, Trend reports.
The Issyk-Kul ring road improvement project involves the construction of 75.2 kilometers of roadway from Barskoon to Karakol, which connects to the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Corridor 1.
The project will widen the road from two lanes to four to accommodate increasing traffic, while also incorporating climate-adaptation measures. It will include rest areas, bus stops, streetlights, and improved access for pedestrians.
Yevgeniy Zhukov, ADB Director General for Central and West Asia, highlighted road safety and the network's vulnerability to climate change as critical issues for Kyrgyzstan.
He said that fixing up the roads will pave the way for safer travel for people and freight, open doors to vital services, and put a spring in the step of job creation.
The funding consists of an $87 million concessional loan and a $22.5 million grant from the Asian Development Fund, aimed at supporting the poorest and most vulnerable developing countries.
Since Kyrgyzstan joined ADB in 1994, the bank has provided a total of $2.6 billion in loans, grants, and technical assistance to the country.