DUSHANBE, June 6, 2013, Asia-Plus — The Ministry of Transport (MoT) has handed over the Vahdat-Jirgatol road maintenance to private companies.
“To-date, two contracts on maintenance of some sections of the Vahdat-Jirgatol highway have been signed,” Deputy Transport Minister, Sherali Ganjalov, told Asia-Plus in an interview.
“One of contracts has been signed with the Branch of Innovative Road Solutions (IRS) and the other one has been signed with private company Gayur,” said Ganjalov. “IRS will maintain the section from Nourobod to Nimich (from 120th to 193rd kilometer of the highway) and Gayur will maintain the section from the Vahdat Township to Obi Garm (95 kilometers of the highway).”
According to him, the companies will maintain the sections within the framework of a three-year pilot project that is funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Ganjalov noted that vehicle movement along the road would be free of charge.
We will recall that the Branch of Innovative Road Solutions in Tajikistan has an experience of maintaining roads. IRS was permitted to operate the toll on the Dushanbe-Chanak highway. A 354-kilometer toll road from Dushanbe to Chanak links Tajikistan”s capital with Uzbekistan through the northern province of Sughd.
The highway was upgraded by Chinese companies and paid for with a $280 million loan from China. The Tajik government decided that in order to repay the loan to China, a toll would be collected for using the road starting on April 1, 2010.
Seven toll-collection points (plaza) now function on the Dushanbe-Chanak high-way: Varzob; Hushyori; Maikhoura; Shahriston, Istaravshan, Dehmoy; and Chorukh.
