In the Gobi Desert of Kazakhstan in April, sandstorms still persist, but the roar of machinery has already pierced the sky. At the construction site of the KJ highway project of China Railway First Group, the paver is like a giant steel beast, slowly spitting out hot graded crushed stones, followed by the roller rolling back and forth, compacting the originally loose rubble into a hard "roadbed skeleton".

This road connecting Kyzylorda and Jezkazgan is a key link in Kazakhstan's national transportation backbone network. In the 208 kilometer long plan, China Railway First Group Co., Ltd. undertook two sections, Lot 13 and Lot 14, totaling 55 kilometers. Although this road is not long, it is a "throat passage" that connects the transportation of mineral resources in the central and western regions. After the completion of the project, the transportation time between the two places will be significantly shortened, and the logistics costs of resources such as copper mines and coal mines along the route are expected to be significantly reduced.

The 'invisible backbone' beneath the road surface

In highway engineering, although the graded crushed stone base (C4 material) does not directly contact the wheels, it is an "invisible backbone" that connects the past and the future. It uses large particle size crushed stones ranging from 0-80 millimeters, and with a good grading combination, disperses the driving load like a "skeleton" to prevent road cracking. Project Chief Engineer Li gave an analogy: "If the roadbed is the foundation and the asphalt is the carpet, then the C4 layer is the load-bearing wall in the middle, which must be absolutely uniform and dense. ”

To ensure that this' backbone 'is unbreakable, the project team has adopted standardized operations throughout the entire process. From factory mixing and transportation to paving and rolling, a tight assembly line has been formed. On site measurement and testing personnel stand by throughout the process, closely monitoring indicators such as loose paving thickness, rolling times, moisture content, etc. The Gobi wind is strong and the water evaporates quickly. We must dynamically adjust to ensure that every inch of compaction meets the standard, "said Li, pointing to the testing instrument.

Winter break period 'grabbing materials' breaks through

The biggest challenge in road construction in Kazakhstan is not technology, but material. The local stone resources are scarce, the transportation distance is long, and it is affected by extremely cold climate, resulting in a long winter break every year. If construction is carried out at a regular pace, material supply is easily cut off.

The project team staged a 'material war' during last year's winter break. They coordinated local resources in advance, optimized transportation routes, and transported a large amount of rough stones to the site for crushing production. During that time, we were either transporting stones or crushing them, "recalled Wang Gong, the Minister of Materials. It is precisely this strategy of "resting in winter and not resting" that has provided sufficient "ammunition" for paving operations after the beginning of spring, successfully breaking through the material bottleneck.

The 'road to prosperity' jointly built by China and Kazakhstan

This highway is not only a transportation project, but also a microcosm of China Kazakhstan infrastructure cooperation. Since the start of construction in April 2025, the project has completed a total of 144000 cubic meters of roadbed excavation, 1.36 million cubic meters of filling, and constructed 2 bridges and 37 culverts. At present, the paving of graded crushed stone base has been fully carried out, paving the way for the subsequent construction of 165000 square meters of asphalt concrete surface layer.

According to the plan of the Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan, the project is scheduled to be fully operational by the end of 2026. At that time, the economic ties between Kyzylorda and Jezkazgan will become even closer, and this road, constructed with the participation of Chinese enterprises, will become a strong artery for activating the development of central and western Kazakhstan.Editor/Yang Meiling