The first paid highway project in Uzbekistan, which connects the cities of Tashkent and Samarkand, has entered the practical phase. This was reported by Upl.uz.
As a result of a lengthy tender process, clarity has been provided to the investor. The Ministry of Transport is now preparing to enter into direct negotiations with this investor and to sign a final agreement.
Transport Minister Ilhom Mahkamov announced this on the "Uzbekistan 24" television channel and stated that construction work will begin in 2025. This statement indicates a acceleration in the implementation of the project, as previously the Ministry of Economy and Finance had planned to start construction work late in 2026 according to the announced financial strategy.
Currently, the winner of the tender has been determined and the president has been informed about this. Negotiations will now be conducted with the winner, and construction will commence after the agreement is signed.
The minister is paying special attention to ensuring that this process is carried out transparently and orderly. At the same time, the name of the winning company has not been disclosed by government press services and the ministry.
This has raised questions about the transparency of the investor selection. The project is estimated to cost approximately $2.2 billion.
This large infrastructure project is an important part of the public-private partnership program. This program was approved by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in August 2024.
The president was informed about the current status of the project on August 1, which indicates its strategic importance. The legal basis for constructing paid roads was established on July 8 when the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis adopted the new edition of the law "On Highways" in the first reading.
This document updates the 2007 law and establishes the necessary mechanisms for granting incentives to investors and implementing large-scale projects. In addition, the government continues to work on the project to construct a new paid highway between the cities of Tashkent and Andijan.
As the transport minister stated earlier, the first phase of the tender for this route is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Paid roads first appeared in a modern sense in 17th century England.
They were established to improve roads that had become unusable based on parliamentary decisions. Special funds had the right to collect fees for passage to finance road repairs and maintenance.
