Currently, multiple international transportation roads in Uzbekistan are operating at overload, and transportation shortcomings are restricting regional economic and trade development as well as people's livelihood. In order to solve the problem of logistics passage and improve the national transportation network, the local government has launched large-scale high-speed infrastructure projects, joined hands with Chinese enterprises to upgrade the transportation system, and activated regional economic vitality.

Improvement of road network quality

On July 22, 2026, Uzbekistan's President Mirziyoyev attended the groundbreaking ceremony of the new Tashkent Samarkand highway in Tashkent Oblast, officially launching this $2.2 billion major infrastructure project. It is reported that there are about 4000 kilometers of international transportation channels in Ukraine, with over half of the roads operating at full or overloaded capacity, and the transportation capacity urgently needs to be upgraded. The highway has a total length of 282 kilometers and adopts a high standard design of six lanes in both directions, running through 13 districts and counties in four regions including Tashkent and Samarkand, covering a population of over 2 million. The project plans to construct 92 bridges, 28 overpasses, and 60 tunnel style traffic facilities, using high-strength integral concrete pavement that can adapt to the normal passage of heavy and high-speed vehicles.

Empowering Economy and Trade

This project is constructed in stages by Chinese enterprises using the EPC general contracting model, benchmarking against international high standards, and will be accompanied by a modern operation and maintenance management system in the future. After the completion of the expressway, the travel time from Tashkent to Samarkand will be reduced from 5 hours to 2.5 hours, and the daily traffic capacity can reach 60000 to 80000 vehicles. At the same time, local freight costs will decrease by 19% to 24%, significantly improving the efficiency of exporting agricultural and sideline products such as fruits, vegetables, meat, and dairy products. Keywords: Chinese enterprise infrastructure, Central Asia logistics channel

After the project is implemented, the GDP of the areas along the route is expected to increase by 3%, which will also drive the agglomeration of industries such as warehousing and logistics, agricultural product processing, and cultural tourism supporting facilities, helping Uzbekistan consolidate its position as a logistics hub in Central Asia and build an efficient and smooth new transportation corridor between Asia and Europe.Editor/Min Jing