Issues of construction and reconstruction of roads of republican, regional and district values were considered at the Headquarters for the implementation of the election program of the Head of State under the chairmanship of Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Alikhan Smailov.

Minister of Transport Marat Karabayev reported that the President has set a task to qualitatively build and reconstruct 8 thousand kilometers of roads of the republican network until 2029.

Thus, in the coming years it is planned to gradually implement priority road projects with a total length of 4.7 thousand km. They are aimed at modernization of the industry and strengthening the transit potential of the republic on the Trans-Caspian international transport route.

Three projects with a total length of 2,000 kilometers, for which there is a high level of development, are the first priority for today. These are the routes "Border of the Russian Federation - Martuk - Aktobe - Ulgaysyn - Kyzylorda", "Zhezkazgan - Karaganda" and "Saryagash City Bypass". Construction and installation works are already underway on some sections, while others are expected to start in 2024 and 2025.

Along with this, the development of roadside service infrastructure continues. Today there are more than 1.6 thousand service facilities along the republican highways, 78% of them meet the requirements of the National Standard. By the end of the year it is planned to launch another 78 new facilities, as well as 25 warm sanitary facilities. In general, by 2029, the construction of over 300 new service facilities meeting the National Standard will be ensured.

As for the local road network, today 85% of 70 thousand kilometers are in the normative condition. Akimats are working on 4.2 thousand kilometers this year. In general, 14 thousand kilometers of regional and district roads are planned to be repaired till 2029.

At the same time, within the framework of reforming the road sector, mechanisms to tighten control over the process of road construction are being introduced and regulatory documents are being improved.

Prime Minister stressed that until recently tenders for large road projects, implemented at the expense of international financial organizations, were often won by foreign companies, suitable in terms of requirements. Then they passed orders for subcontracting to Kazakhstan firms.

Now, as a result of the work done to change some requirements (reducing the annual financial turnover, adding the need to have their own special equipment in the Republic of Kazakhstan, the inadmissibility of subcontracting more than 50% of the work, etc.) Kazakh companies independently, or uniting in consortiums, can win such competitions and significantly increase their income.

At session with the report also acted the chairman of board of NC KazAutoZhol JSC Meirhat Kasymbayev. Akims of West Kazakhstan region Nariman Turegaliev, Atyrau region Serik Shapkenov and Zhetisu region Beibit Issabaev told about the work carried out in the regions.

Prime Minister emphasized that the transport industry should become one of the locomotives of economic development of the country. This year the first Big Almaty Ring Road concession project was implemented, providing passage of about 50 thousand cars per day. Major highway projects are nearing completion: "Almaty - Karaganda", "Taldykorgan - Ust-Kamenogorsk", "Merke - Burylbaital", "Aktobe - Kandyagash" and "Atyrau - Astrakhan".

At the same time, the head of the Government pointed out that often the quality of roads does not stand up to criticism.

"You know how many complaints are coming from the population. For a simple person there is no difference - the road is republican or local. He needs good roads near his home, in the city, village or between settlements. We all need it, our economy," Alikhan Smailov said.

He noted that the construction season is already coming to an end, so road construction works should be significantly intensified in September. At the same time, Prime Minister demanded to ensure proper quality of roads, "so that in the spring the asphalt does not run off with the snow".

"It is becoming a norm when akimats delay the restoration of the roadbed after the engineering communications. A striking example is the absence of a road for more than 5 years after the laying of utilities in the Karasu microdistrict of Almaty. A group of activists sent a lawsuit to the Specialized Interdistrict Administrative Court. At the same time, the technical supervisor and the Department of Energy reported on the qualitative restoration of the roadbed. Also, residents of Rakhat microdistrict in Almaty complain about the lack of road," Alikhan Smailov said.

As noted by the Head of Government, roads linking settlements with the "outside world" require special attention - when the life and health of people depend on its condition or availability in general.

According to him, in some regions there is also a misuse and inefficient use of budget funds intended for road construction. For example, the regional prosecutor Zhetisu voiced the facts of illegal spending of money, as a result of which the procedures for 35 tenders totaling 3 billion tenge were canceled. 

Another important issue is the movement of heavy heavy trucks on highways.

"It is not uncommon when during the repair and construction of one road dump trucks break other roads, including recently repaired ones. For example, on the Narmanbet - Balkhash highway in Karaganda region, ore from the Shubartau open pit began to be transported along the recently repaired road. The weight of a dump truck with ore is 60 tons! As a result, all the new asphalt was spoiled. There are many such examples, even in cities," Alikhan Smailov noted.

Prime Minister emphasized that it is necessary to take a comprehensive approach to solving the problems of design and construction of roads, as well as their maintenance. For this purpose, the Ministry of Transport was specially reconstituted on the instructions of the Head of State.

"The Ministry has been set specific tasks to "reset" the road construction industry. It is necessary to strengthen the role of the National Center for Quality of Road Assets to stop poor-quality road construction works, introduction of new technologies and materials. It is also necessary to tighten the requirements and adopt new regulatory documents," Head of the Government said.

#Alikhan Smailov #The Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan #Highways #Transport