Road to prosperity: current trends and challenges in road development in Kazakhstan
In his address to the nation, Tokayev announced the Ministry of Transport would be re-established in Kazakhstan. Besides the road infrastructure construction, the ministry, which has existed in the country until 2014, will oversee railway, inland water transport, commercial shipping, use of the airspace and the activities of civil and experimental aviation. It will also be in charge of natural monopolies in the field of air navigation services and airports and highways.
The restructuring is meant to help Kazakhstan bring the share of the transport and logistics sector in the GDP to a minimum of 9%, up from 6.2% in 2022, as stated in Tokayev’s address.
Kazakhstan, the world's largest landlocked country, has been making significant strides in recent years in developing its road infrastructure. The condition of many, however, leaves much to be desired, and roads are in need of improvement.
The total length of the highway network in Kazakhstan is 96,000 kilometers, with 25,000 kilometers of national roads and 71,000 kilometers of local-level roads.
Upgraded road networks reduce transportation costs, enhance logistical efficiency, and attract foreign investment. With well-maintained highways connecting key cities and economic zones, the country's industries can expand their reach and access markets more easily.
Road development in 2023
In 2023, 6,400 kilometers of roads will be constructed, including the reconstruction of 3,600 kilometers and the repair of 2,800 kilometers. More than 8,000 units of road construction equipment and 12,000 specialized personnel were involved in the work, the Road Committee of the newly established Ministry of Transport told Kazinform.
«At the end of the year, it is planned to open traffic on the reconstruction sections with new pavement on more than 1,000 kilometers and to put 856 kilometers into operation by the end of the year. In addition, as a result of mid-term repair works to restore the wear layer, it is planned to put into operation 826 kilometers,» said the committee.
The committee acknowledged there were some challenges in the implementation of the projects related to the increase in the cost of road construction works and project adjustments.
«For example, the projects in the western regions were significantly affected by the shortage and difficulties with delivery of inert materials by rail due to the distance of transportation more than 1,000 kilometers. Nevertheless, road builders made maximum efforts to reduce bypass roads and open traffic on new asphalt,» said the committee.
Addressing the field meeting with contractors of the Almaty - Ust-Kamenogorsk highway sections on September 12, Minister of Transport Marat Karabayev stressed the enormous tasks the new ministry has to address.
«We urgently need to improve the situation regarding the quality of existing and under construction roads. The current construction year is ending; during the winter period we will focus on preparatory work for the start of the next season. You are used to working with Qazavtojol, but now, to ensure the quality and speed of work, you will have to work more closely with the profile ministry,» said Karabayev.
He promised he would drive along all national roads.
«This week, we plan to travel to the central and southern regions, after which we will hold a meeting with colleagues to discuss the scope of work for 2024-2025,» said the minister.
How much money is allocated to build and maintain roads
The budget allocated for projects related to the construction, reconstruction, and repair of nationally significant roads in 2023 amounts to 369.2 billion tenge. More specifically, 222.9 billion tenge is designated for construction and reconstruction, while 146.3 billion tenge is allocated for repair and maintenance.
The total network of nationally significant highways spans 25,000 kilometers. Among these, 21,000 kilometers are managed by QazAvtoJol, a national operator for management of highways of international and national significance. The remaining 4,000 kilometers are handled by contracting organizations working on transitional projects related to reconstruction and major repairs.
This year, a budget of 32.1 billion tenge has been allocated for maintaining the national highway network.
«Regarding toll roads, it's important to highlight that toll fees collected at toll roads are primarily earmarked for the regulatory maintenance of these toll plazas and the maintenance of the hardware and software systems integral to the toll collection process,» said the committee.
Specific road development projects
The major Center-South corridor has a total length of 946 kilometers. According to the project, traffic is open for more than 700 kilometers or 74 percent of the entire length.
President Tokayev underlined the importance of the corridor during his visit to the Karaganda region in October.
«It is obvious that the quality of roads should contribute to the development of the region. The transport corridor Center – South is currently being created. The construction of the road passing through the city of Balkhash is proceeding very slowly. The deadlines have been postponed more than once. I instruct the Government to complete the construction of the Karaganda-Balkhash and Balkhash-Burulbaital highways next year,» he said back then.
Full completion of the work with commissioning is planned in stages in 2024.
Karaganda-Balkhash road has a length of 363 kilometers, and the traffic is open for 321 kilometers. Balkhash-Burylbaytal is 288 kilometers long, and the traffic is open for 183 kilometers.
Among other important projects are Kurty-Burylbaytal, with a length of 228 kilometers (traffic is open on 179 kilometers), and Kurty-Konaev, with a length of 67 kilometers (traffic is open on 30 kilometers).
The main construction and installation work has been completed on the Usharal-Dostyk 180-kilometer-long route. It will be ready for commissioning by the end of this year.
«Completion of the facility will have a positive impact on the development of the region’s tourism cluster and will ensure unimpeded travel to the border with the People’s Republic of China,» said the committee.
The number of priority and capital-intensive projects includes the repair of the Kaztalovka - Zhanibek route leading up to the Russian border and Onege - Bisen - Saykhin highways in the West Kazakhstan region. These are transport arteries totaling 245 kilometers, connecting the Kaztalovsky, Zhanibeksky and Bokeyordinsky districts with the regional center.
Challenges in road development
While Kazakhstan's road development has brought benefits, it has also raised concerns regarding sustainability and the environment. The construction and maintenance of extensive road networks often lead to land degradation, deforestation, and disruption of local ecosystems. Balancing economic growth with environmental preservation remains a challenge.
The road committee explained that during their research and site analysis, they frequently come across a situation where the planned roads partly pass through forested areas. Therefore, it becomes essential to follow a procedure to reclassify these lands from being considered forested to being designated as transportation lands.
«Over the past three years, 11 government resolutions have been received regulating this process. Delays are associated with changes in legislation, repeated public hearings, recalculation of losses in forestry production and lengthy approval of documents and taking into account comments in government bodies,» said the committee.
Challenges also emerge when designing quarries for road construction. The issue is that quarry locations are not considered during the initial design phase but are determined after the project is created and the road construction location is finalized. It's only at this point that some people decide to acquire adjacent lands.
«Consequently, contractors are unable to access essential natural resources like crushed stone because the quarry site is now privately owned. Therefore, we are forced to engage in contracts with these private individuals at unreasonably high prices,» the committee elaborated.
The shortage or high cost of road bitumen is another big problem the committee highlighted.
«This leads to the suspension of work on sites and delays in completion dates. To reduce the risk of bitumen shortage, we began to prepare it in advance during the winter period, and issue advances to contractors. We also reached an agreement with the Russian Federation on the supply of 300,000 tons of bitumen annually for road projects,» said the committee.
According to the Kazakh Ministry of Energy, Kazakhstan’s domestic bitumen needs stand at 1.1 million tons.
In terms of this demand, the nation’s territory can be divided into three zones, with the lowest demand in the western regions - 191,000 tons with production of 500,000 tons per year. In the northeastern regions, the need for 308,000 tons is covered by its own production of 300,000 tons per year.
The highest demand is observed in the southern regions - 602,000 tons with production of 374,000 tons.
To cover the domestic market's demand for road bitumen during the construction season, Kazakh officials propose the construction of a terminal network or bitumen storage facilities with a capacity of up to 100,000 tons at existing plants.
Another option is expanding oil refining capacity, ensuring that prices for bitumen are kept within the estimated cost of no more than 115,000 tenge per ton, ensuring the quality of bitumen produced in Kazakhstan in accordance with regulatory and technical requirements, which in turn will ensure its purchase and distribution on market conditions.
«It must be emphasized that the roads being reconstructed pass through specially protected natural areas, where, in accordance with Article 265 of the Environmental Code, it is prohibited to remove soil for road construction. It is proposed to amend this Code to speed up the procedure for transferring areas of common minerals and soils for use for government needs. This will reduce bureaucratic obstacles and speed up the start of construction and installation work,» explained the committee.
Local content in road construction
Boosting the presence of local producers and materials in the country’s industrialization effort has been raised as a priority task by Tokayev in his address.
According to the committee, when developing design and estimate documentation, as well as in contracts for the construction, reconstruction and repair of highways, there is a mandatory requirement for the use of Kazakhstan-produced road-building materials of at least 95 percent of the total volume of road-building materials.
The primary imported materials that decrease the local content include modifiers and additives from foreign manufacturers, which are used in pilot projects. Overall, road construction projects follow the materials specified by existing building codes and regulations.
The Ministry of Transport will soon convene a meeting with all domestic contractors and foreign companies involved in the construction of roads in Kazakhstan. The goal is to have a modern and efficient road network that will support the country's economic growth and development.