The Aral-Caspian Highway is set to become one of Kazakhstan’s largest infrastructure projects. The new highway will be built almost entirely from scratch, linking the Khorgos and Dostyk border crossings with the ports of Aktau and Kuryk as part of the international Belt and Road Initiative. The need for the project is underscored by steadily growing transit traffic. Kazakhstan’s section of the Western Europe-Western China transport corridor already carries between 10,000 and 15,000 vehicles a day – far exceeding initial projections. Ahead of construction, specialists carried out comprehensive surveys, examining soil conditions, wind patterns, animal migration routes, and other environmental factors. The findings were used to select technologies designed to ensure the highway’s durability and extend its service life.
«We also plan to use locally produced additives and materials that will strengthen the pavement structure. We expect this to extend the service life of the road between major repairs. Currently, the top layer of the pavement is made of stone mastic asphalt concrete. To lay this material, we plan to use Superpave and KazPave technologies, incorporating a more advanced modified bitumen,» noted Sagi Sadykuly, Managing Director, QazAvtoJol National Company.
Three new highways, Beineu–Saksaulsk, Kyzylorda–Saksaulsk, and Ulgaissyn–Saksaulsk, will stretch for more than 1,600 kilometers. Construction has already begun on a 650-kilometer section financed by the Development Bank of Kazakhstan. Another nearly 900 kilometers are planned with the support of international financial institutions, with construction scheduled to begin next year. The entire route will feature bridges, overpasses, culverts, rest areas, and roadside service facilities. Modern digital monitoring systems will ensure road safety.
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