DUSHANBE, December 25, 2014, Asia-Plus — The work on rehabilitation of a vital road linking Dushanbe with the Uzbekistan border via Hisor Valley and the town of Tursunzoda has been practically completed.
All works have been carried out in accordance with schedule without any delays, a source at the Asian Development Bank (ADB)’s Tajikistan Resident Mission told Asia-Plus in an interview.
“All physical works have been completed and it just remains to close the financial part of the project,” the source noted.
The ADB has provided a $120 million grant to help Tajikistan upgrade this road e road linking the capital Dushanbe with the Uzbekistan border. A grant agreement was inked in Dushanbe on January 20, 2011 and rehabilitation of the road began on November 7, 2011.
The road is part of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Corridor 3 that spans almost 7,000 km from the Russian Federation in the north to the Persian Gulf in the south.
The 62-kilometer highway passes through the Hisor Valley and the town of Tursunzoda – two major economic areas in Tajikistan. Hisor Valley has the largest agricultural output in the country, producing cotton, grain, fruits, and vegetables. Tursunzoda is home to Central Asia”s largest aluminum processing plant as well as light industry.
The grant has financed road upgrading and improvements to drainage structures and bridges. The project also provided for improving facilities at the Dusti border, which handles about 50,000 vehicles per year, or a quarter of Tajikistan”s cross-border vehicles and freight. The project reportedly included connecting the border point to a dependable power source, building modern customs buildings, and installing new information technology, all of which will help increase trade and cut waiting time at the border.
