In Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, a transformation concerning the transportation pattern of the Eurasian continent is quietly unfolding. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev recently revealed that this country located in the heartland of Central Asia has officially launched a 4000 kilometer paid expressway construction plan. From ancient Samarkand to the Fergana Valley, from the tourist city of Shiva to cross-border trade routes, a modern highway network is accelerating its formation on the ancient Silk Road.

The four major corridors were the first to solve the problem

The first batch of construction in 2026 will focus on four strategic routes: Tashkent to Samarkand, Tashkent to Andijan, Tashkent to Chalvak, and Ulgenchi to Khiva. Among them, the Tashkent Samarkand section is about 300 kilometers long, and the travel time will be reduced to 2 to 2.5 hours after completion. Currently, negotiations are underway with international investors such as Chinese companies; The section from Ulgench to Siva is positioned as a tourism pilot corridor and is planned to be put into use within the year, which can shorten the travel time by 20 minutes. The entire line adopts a speed standard of 120 to 150 kilometers per hour, equipped with intelligent transportation systems and digital operation platforms.

Traffic pressure drives upgrade

The existing road network is no longer able to support development needs. Data shows that the daily average traffic flow from Tashkent to Samarkand reaches 55000 to 60000 vehicles, with over 40000 vehicles on the route to the Ferghana Valley. Congestion and safety hazards are prominent on weekends. The new expressway will adopt a four lane concrete pavement, with an expected increase in traffic capacity to four times the original. At the same time, a graded toll mechanism and a diversified payment system will be introduced to lay the foundation for the sustainable operation of the project. Keywords: Infrastructure Engineering News Network, High Speed Network Infrastructure, Chinese and Foreign Bidding

Chinese and foreign capital compete on the same stage

The project has attracted high attention from enterprises in France, Türkiye, China, Qatar and South Korea. Qatar Protokol Group and South Korean Highway Company jointly won the bid for the Tashkent Chalwak section; The bidding for the Tashkent to Andijan section will determine the winning bidder in April 2026, and the total project cost will increase from an estimated 2.83 billion US dollars in 2022 to 4.65 billion US dollars. Chinese funded enterprises such as CITIC Construction and China Railway 20th Bureau have deeply laid out local infrastructure, becoming core forces with technological and financial advantages, and promoting the acceleration of regional connectivity in Central Asia.Editor/Gao Xue