Tajikistan relies heavily on road transport for international and domestic movement of goods and people, but much of the national road network has deteriorated and is unsafe, hindering the livelihoods and daily economic activities of local people.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide more than 67 million U.S. dollars in grant to Tajikistan for rehabilitation of roads in Khatlon province, according to the Ministry of Finance (MoF) press center.
A relevant agreement on this subject has reportedly been signed in Dushanbe by Faziddin Qahhorzoda, Finance Minister of Tajikistan Anvar Makhmudov, and ADB Authorized Representative in Dushanbe.
A total cost of the project is US$72.93 million, including US$67.49 million provided by the ADB and a US$5.44 million contribution of the Government of Tajikistan, the MoF press center says.
The project will rehabilitate two existing national road sections in Khatlon province: from Danghara to Oqmazor (28.7 km) and from Hulbuk to Kangurt (59.5 km), which currently support traffic volumes of 4,200 vehicles and 1,300 vehicles per day, respectively.
The main objective of the project is in bringing these road sections in line with international standards, ensuring traffic safety and improving international relations.
According to the MoF, the project will be launched in 2021 and it will be completed in 2024. The project will create new jobs.
According to press release issued by the ADB last month, women in the project area will benefit from access to a knowledge distribution program on business development and household financial management skills through their mobile phones. The project will also help improve access for women to grants for starting new businesses.
The project will help the Ministry of Transport operationalize a road asset management system by developing a data inventory of the country’s arterial highways and train staff to collect and analyze condition data. The database will enable the government to prepare annual maintenance plans and ensure adequate budget for maintenance.
