The wind near the Aral Sea swept over the wilderness, stirring the documents in President Tokayev's hand on the other end of the video link. On August 3, 2026, with his announcement, the silent desert was shattered by the roar of machinery - the construction of roads leading from Kizil Orda, Ulgaisin, and Beineu to Sheksheule was simultaneously launched. This is not only an extension of several paths, but also a key milestone for Kazakhstan to reshape its geopolitical and economic landscape.

Weaving a dense land locked country road network

For a long time, Kazakhstan, located deep in the Eurasian hinterland, has deeply understood the significance of "road" for national development. Tokayev regarded the transportation and logistics industry as the most important engine for national development in his speech. In the past few years, changes have occurred: by 2025, the Dostyk Moint railway double track will be opened, increasing freight capacity by five times; The railway loop around Almaty Station greatly improves logistics efficiency.

In the field of highways, the volume of road freight has doubled in the past five years, with transportation revenue reaching 1.5 trillion tenge in 2025 alone. Last year, 13000 kilometers of highways across the country underwent new construction or major repairs, of which 6000 kilometers have been put into use, laying a solid foundation for this year's major initiatives.

Open up the new Eurasian artery

Among the three new roads, the road from Beineu to Sheksheule is undoubtedly the most dazzling. This brand new 800 kilometer long road will be like a needle and thread, tightly sewing China's border ports with Aktau Port and Kurek Port. Tokayev proposed naming it the Alar Caspian Main Line. Its completion means that Chinese goods sent to Europe will have a shorter route - the transportation distance will be reduced by about 1000 kilometers, and the time can be compressed by up to 3 days.

At the same time, the two highways of Kyzylorda Shekshewul and Ulgaisin Shekshewul will also undergo comprehensive upgrades. These three roads will not only create tens of thousands of job opportunities, but also increase the freight capacity along the route by 2.5 times, reaching an annual scale of 13.2 million tons.

Moving towards the digital ecosystem

Building roads is just the first step. Tokayev emphasized that by 2027, all highway border ports in the country will be modernized. He pointed out with a long-term vision that physical connectivity must be synchronized with digitalization. Kazakhstan is planning to build a modern digital transportation ecosystem and introduce a national plan to support its transportation enterprises and automobile manufacturing industry. He demanded that all projects be completed on schedule before 2029.keywords:Engineering infrastructure

At that time, with the complete transformation of the transportation network from the traditional north-south direction to a new pattern of east-west interconnection, Kazakhstan's position as a logistics hub in Eurasia will be unshakable, and the people on this land will also usher in more convenient lives and broader opportunities.Editor/Yang Meiling