TASHKENT - The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors has approved a $200 million financing project to develop transport infrastructure in the Surkhandarya region of Uzbekistan, Gazeta.uz reports, citing the World Bank.
The five-year project includes the reconstruction of a 91-kilometer section of the M41 highway, connecting Uzbekistan with Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Afghanistan. The two-lane highway will be expanded to four lanes, increasing capacity and traffic safety.
Key project impacts:
- Daily traffic: approximately 35,000 users;
- Access to economic opportunities for approximately 550,000 residents of adjacent areas;
- Increase in average traffic speed from 65 to 90 km/h;
- Reconstruction of approximately 180 bridges and drainage systems to protect against flooding.
In addition to road works, the project will support the development of a National Strategy for the Development of Multimodal Transportation, which will serve as a roadmap for coordinating various modes of transport and enhancing the sector's resilience to climate and logistics risks.
The third component will be improving Uzbekistan Railways' business processes: strengthening corporate governance, financial transparency, and implementing ESG standards. This will increase the company's operational efficiency and attractiveness to private investment.
The transport sector accounts for nearly 8% of Uzbekistan's GDP and employs approximately 1 million people. According to World Bank forecasts, road capacity must increase by 500% by 2030 to accommodate the expected growth in freight traffic.
"Developing safe road and rail corridors is critical for access to jobs and services, expanding trade, and strengthening Uzbekistan's competitiveness," noted World Bank Regional Director for Central Asia Naji Benhasin.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
March 24, 2026