Overhaul of the Pungan-Namangan highway’s 75-km section in Namangan province has commenced, the Transport Minister Ilkhom Makhkamov told the Uzbekistan 24 television channel.
According to him, the overhaul of the Tashkent-Namangan highway is being performed with the Chinese company CITIC Construction.
"Based on the president's directives given during his previous visit, we have begun the overhaul with the large Chinese company CITIC. The president gave a separate directive on high-quality completion of the project," he added.
He noted that the existing highway consisted of two lanes and is one of the busiest in the Fergana Valley, where congestion and major accidents were common. "This is one of the most complex roads in the Fergana Valley. And it is the main road connecting Namangan with the capital," the minister stated.
According to the presidential press service, up to 15,000 vehicles use this road daily (planned to increase to 40,000-45,000). It will be expanded to four lanes with a concrete surface. The project cost is estimated at $246 million, with thirty-four bridges and 22 zebra crossings to be erecetd along the road.
The Namangan province governor office had announced the start of the Pungan-Namangan road overhaul project back in August of last year. In April of this year, the office announced that the project was being implemented under the F+EPC (Financing, Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) model. Its implementation is expected to triple the road's capacity, reduce accident rates, and provide additional amenities for residents, businesses, and tourists.
