Deputies of Tajikistan’s lower house (Majlisi Namoyandagon) of parliament have unanimously voted for ratification of a financial agreement for rehabilitation of the Dushanbe-Qurghon Teppa highway that was signed between the government of Tajikistan and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in November last year.
A regular sitting of the Majlisi Namoyandagon, presided over by its head, Shukurjon Zuhurov, took place on May 11.
Presenting the agreement to lawmakers, the Deputy Finance Minister Mehrinamo Jonmamadzoda noted that the direct work on implementation of the Dushanbe-Qurghon Teppa road rehabilitation project would start in June and the project was expected to be finished in March 2021.
Addressing lawmakers, the Minister of Transport Khudoyor Khudoyorzoda, said the project would promote development of the country’s exports to Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan and Turkey.
This 90-kilometer highway is one of the most heavily traveled roads in the country because it has not been rehabilitated for more than 30 years, with the exception of partial recovery work carried out in the early 2000s.
The first phase of the project provides for rehabilitation of more than 33 kilometers of road from Dushanbe to the Dari Kiik area, not far from the administrative center of Khuroson district in Khatlon province.
$96 million have reportedly been allocated for the first phase of the Dushanbe-Qurghon Teppa road rehabilitation project.
The Asian Development Bank has allocated $65.2 million in preferential loan ($49.4 million) and grant (some $15.8 million) to improve the road connectivity between Dushanbe and Qurghon Teppa, two major cities and economic hubs in the country. Besides, the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) has allocated $12 million for implementation of the project and the remaining $17 million have been provided by the Tajik government.
The estimated budget for improvement of the 90-kilometer road from Dushanbe to Qurghon Teppa is some $215 million.
The project is expected to directly benefit residents in Dushanbe and the southern Khatlon province by improving access to jobs, markets, and public services. It is also expected to help develop the economic corridor between Dushanbe and Afghanistan.
The road is a strategic north-south link, one of the most heavily traveled roads in the country, and is a part of Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) corridors 2, 5, and 6.
The project is expected to enhance the road by expanding its width from two to four lanes, improving its surface condition, and providing well-designed safety facilities. (News.tj/Business World Magazine)