Kazakhstan to open vehicle traffic at WE-WC transport corridor by year end
By Aynur Jafarova
Kazakhstan plans to open vehicle traffic along Bypass Kordai Pass of the Western Europe-Western China transport corridor by the end of this year.
The news was announced by Kazakh Ministry of Transport and Communications, Trend Agency reported.
The earthworks have already been completed on the road section.
The base is treated from gravel-rubble-sandy mixture and work is
being carried out on paving concrete slabs at exits of transport
interchanges.
The general contractor of the work is Cengiz Insaat Joint Stock
Company.
The construction of bridges and overpasses on the road section are
95 percent completed. Asphalt coating has been paved on the four
bridges. The works are being carried out on three bridges on the
laying the waterproofing of the deck. The work on strengthening of
the slopes is underway on all 12 bridges of the section of the
transport corridor.
Also, the work is carried out to strengthen the drainage pipes.
The construction of the Bypass Pass Kordai road section, which is
one of the most difficult sections in this transport corridor,
involved about 946 people.
"Due to a sharp increase in the flow of vehicles and accidents, the
section of the transport corridor is highly important. In this
regard, the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Kazakhstan
has worked out the relocation of the road in the first technical
category with four-lane and drawing up of the design-budget
documentation has been started," the Ministry said.
The corridor project was approved in 2009. Its aim is to improve transportation efficiency and safety on the roads connecting China to Russia and Western Europe. The corridor will stretch 8,445 kilometers, with 2,233 kilometers in Russia, 2,787 kilometers in Kazakhstan, and 3,425 kilometers in China.
The completion of the project will provide a safe and modern transport system between Eastern Europe and the Chinese border, following part of the historic Silk Road. Main works include the rehabilitation of roadways and bridges, the construction of road junctions, parking area, road maintenance centers, lighting and road signs.
The entire road is expected to be completed in 2018.
The total cost of Kazakhstan's portion of the corridor will amount to approximately $5.6 billion, but international organizations are loaning Kazakhstan most of the funds.