Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Travel time from Kungrad to the Kazakhstan border has fallen from 12–14 hours to three to four hours following the reconstruction of the A380 highway with financing from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The next project, an 87-kilometre bypass costing US$293.7 million, is scheduled for completion by 2029.
Damir Mamutov works in international freight transport. His company, Prom Business, sends trucks along the A380 highway to the Karakalpakia border crossing every day. He said that previously, the 240-kilometre journey from Kungrad to the border took 12–14 hours.
“There are still videos on YouTube of drivers from Türkiye and Belarus nearly crying on this road. Trucks travelled at 5–10 kilometres per hour because of ruts, snow in winter and dust storms in summer. You could practically walk faster,” he recalled.
Every trip ended with repairs, as tyres burst and shock absorbers and air suspension bags broke down. “Now, thank God, trucks can operate for three to five months without such problems,” Mamutov said.
What has been built and what is under construction
The Kungrad–Daut-Ata section of the highway, running from kilometre 964 to kilometre 1,204 and reaching the Kazakhstan border, opened in 2024. ADB provided US$274.2 million in financing, including a US$26 million concessional loan.
Before reconstruction, cracks, potholes and ruts forced drivers to slow down. The upgraded road is now a Category II highway with two lanes and a cement-concrete surface, selected because local materials are readily available and the pavement is durable.
A 25-kilometre section of the road from Nukus to Urgench, passing through Khojayli, Beruniy and Karauzyak districts, is due to be completed by the end of the year. The US$48.7 million project began in 2024.
The old asphalt had been laid more than 20 years ago and was riddled with potholes, forcing vehicles to travel at speeds below 60 kilometres per hour. The new concrete road is designed for speeds of up to 120 kilometres per hour, allowing the section to be covered in about 30 minutes.
The road will have four lanes. Its 27-centimetre concrete pavement has been laid on an 18-centimetre concrete base. Hong Tae-jae, construction management director at South Korean company Yooshin, estimated that around 30,000 vehicles use the road each month. Approximately 300 people are working on the project.
Construction is about 90% complete. The remaining work includes concreting approximately 3.8 kilometres and completing three bridges, followed by landscaping along the road, installing barriers and paving connecting roads. Quality is being monitored by consultants from Yooshin and Uzbekistan’s Taktika Plan, both selected through an international tender.
“Freight traffic between Nukus and Urgench is substantial. The old asphalt was laid more than 20 years ago, and the numerous potholes made it impossible to drive normally. The main objective of ADB financing is to provide a direct and convenient connection between Nukus and Urgench for people,” Hong Tae-jae said.
In 2025, ADB approved another project, titled “CAREC Corridor 2 Road Resilience and Modernisation”. It covers approximately 87 kilometres around the settlements of Turtkul and Beruniy, comprising 75 kilometres of new bypass road and 12 kilometres of existing road.
Of the project’s US$293.7 million cost, US$233.1 million will come from an ADB loan and US$60.6 million from the government. Both road projects are located entirely in Karakalpakstan.
China Railway 20th Bureau was selected as the general contractor through an international tender, while South Korea’s Dongsung is responsible for technical supervision. Mobilisation and earthworks have begun, and construction is expected to take three years.
Once the project is completed, the entire A380 highway within Karakalpakstan will have been reconstructed, according to the project’s chief engineer.
Project representatives estimate that 6,000–7,000 vehicles currently use the highway each day. Following reconstruction, its capacity is expected to increase to 14,000–15,000 vehicles daily.
Why the road is being rerouted
Nearly 30% of Karakalpakstan’s population lives in Beruniy, Turtkul and Ellikkala districts. Reconstructing the existing road would require widespread demolition of homes and the relocation of residents, so a bypass was chosen. The new route will also be shorter, at 87 kilometres instead of 92 kilometres.
The region’s development strategy calls for minimising the loss of agricultural land and providing cash compensation based on replacement value, without deducting depreciation. It also proposes building underpasses for saiga antelopes along their migration routes.
Freight traffic through Karakalpakstan
Prom Business currently operates a fleet of 15 trucks, down from 25 after older vehicles were sold. The company plans to renew its fleet.
During summer, it transports fruit and vegetables, including melons and watermelons, to Kazakhstan and Russia. Throughout the year, it carries pellets from a joint-venture plant to Türkiye, Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.
Transport companies from Khorezm, Bukhara and Karakalpakstan collect loads at the plant. According to Mamutov, at least 300–400 trucks carrying pellets leave for Türkiye each month, all travelling through Karakalpakstan.
Routes have also changed. “Previously, some cargo from Uzbekistan went through Shymkent, but now it travels through Karakalpakstan. Kazakhstan has cold weather and icy roads, while the road here is good and fast,” the businessman said.
ADB regional cooperation specialist Bekhzod Jalilov explained why road infrastructure was the starting point for the development strategy.
“An economic corridor will emerge. Roadside services, enterprises and various businesses will develop along it, creating jobs. Five to 10 years after construction, there will be campsites with restaurants and truck service facilities,” he said.
Via Beineu and Kazakhstan’s port of Aktau, the highway provides a route to Baku, Georgia and Türkiye, and onward to the European Union and Arab countries. The road forms part of CAREC Corridor 2, which connects the Caucasus and the Mediterranean with East Asia.
“These roads are not being built solely for transit. They should be infrastructure that generates income for exporters, local producers and service providers,” Jalilov said.
“Uzbekistan is the heart of Central Asia. Although the country is doubly landlocked, it borders all its neighbours, and Karakalpakstan is a gateway and a link to other countries,” said Kanokpan Lao-Araya, director of ADB’s Resident Mission in Uzbekistan.
Jalilov illustrated the challenges with an example: “If I want to export melons to Russia through Kazakhstan, my driver can get stuck at the border for a couple of days. The melons spoil, and I lose a lot of money. This needs to be avoided.”
ADB proposes modernising the border crossing and helping private businesses build warehouses and logistics hubs near the border and farming areas. These facilities would allow goods to be stored while export certification is being processed.
A region in need of better roads
According to the regional development strategy, Karakalpakstan’s foreign trade turnover increased from US$628.5 million in 2016 to US$821.4 million in 2025. However, the region’s share of Uzbekistan’s total trade fell from 2.6% to 1%. Output per capita declined from approximately 64% to 54% of the national average.
Between 2016 and 2025, real gross regional product per capita in Karakalpakstan grew by an average of 3.57% annually, compared with 3.95% annual growth in Uzbekistan’s GDP per capita.
In 2024, the region ranked 11th among Uzbekistan’s 14 regions for investment in fixed capital, with 20.6 trillion soums. Foreign investment and loans accounted for 70.1% of that total.
The strategy envisages making the A380 highway the backbone of regional development. Proposals include roadside services with fuel stations, food outlets and parking areas every 40–50 kilometres, as well as public transport for remote settlements such as Jaslyk.
A dry port in Kungrad is proposed only after demand and environmental impacts have been assessed.
Jalilov said the strategy had been developed in consultation with local residents.
“We did not sit in our offices somewhere in Manila and come up with ideas for Karakalpakstan,” he said.
International and national experts held workshops in Nukus, Muynak and other towns. Participants marked infrastructure gaps on maps, and these were incorporated into the strategy.
The strategy recommends prioritising residents of districts along the highway for road construction and roadside service jobs through accessible recruitment and short training courses. It distinguishes temporary construction employment from permanent positions in road maintenance, logistics and technical services. Local employment is presented as an alternative to labour migration for young people.
“The question is how income is distributed. Are we sure that everyone benefits from growth?” Jalilov said. The strategy calls for investment not only in Nukus but also in Muynak and other districts, so that residents “barely notice a difference” in their quality of life.
Managing the roads
The project also supports the Committee for Roads under the Ministry of Transport. Its work includes road maintenance, vehicle overloading controls, weigh-in-motion systems, intelligent transport systems and traffic management.
For Mamutov, the journey to the border now takes three to four hours, and his trucks can operate for months without repairs. His company is already planning to renew its fleet.