The reconstruction of the Atyrau-Astrakhan republican highway has been completed in Kazakhstan.

Atyrau. December 17. KAZAKHSTAN TODAY - KazAvtoZhol announced the completion of the main works on the reconstruction of the republican significance road Atyrau - Astrakhan.

The length of the section of the road to the border with Russia is 272 kilometers. The project began implementation in 2018 and was financed through a loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

Upon completion of the reconstruction, the road was upgraded from the third to the second technical category. The route now features two traffic lanes—one in each direction—each with a width of 3.75 meters. As part of the project, six bridges, one overpass, 60 culverts, and ten rest areas were constructed. Additionally, over 650 lighting poles were installed, ensuring comfort and safety during travel," the source reports.

According to the information, the road was built according to international standards.

Companies from Kazakhstan, Italy, Turkey, and Azerbaijan participated in the project. More than 650 specialists and about 450 units of specialized equipment were involved. The total volume of inert materials used amounted to 3.4 million tons, delivered by rail from quarries in the Aktobe (Mugalzhar) and Mangistau (Shetpe) regions. Approximately 50,000 hopper cars were required for transporting materials, and 2,500 bitumen trucks for delivering bitumen," KazAvtoZhol clarified.

Previously, traveling along this section took about five hours, but now the entire route requires only two hours. This has been made possible by the high-quality road surface and modern infrastructure established as part of the project.

The completion of the reconstruction of the Atyrau-Astrakhan road has become a significant milestone in the development of the region's transport infrastructure and has improved connections between Kazakhstan and Russia, promoting economic growth and the development of international trade.

It is worth noting that earlier, at the EDB conference in Almaty, experts stated that improving the state of transport infrastructure in Central Asia is one of the main tasks today. Currently, goods cross many borders, business processes are not streamlined, logistics are lacking, and traffic jams are forming at the borders.

In June of this year, the EDB presented the concept of the Eurasian Transport Framework.